Please avoid patented standards, even "RAND"

- initially "reasonable and non discriminatory" terms may not always
stay reasonable.

- even seemingly reasonable terms may prevent fully open-source or free
(libre or gratuit) implementations, this could effectively lock users
into poor implementations of the standard, and lock out a significant
proportion of users.

- the patent will retard (or co-opt) new ideas and developments
extending or interacting with the patented standard.

- the patent will allow the patent-holder to release subsequent enhanced
versions of the standard under very non-"RAND" terms, and block anyone
else from providing alternatives. Users would then be given the
unwelcome choice: strand yourself in a dated standard, or aquiesce to
the new terms.

Received on Sunday, 30 September 2001 17:41:02 UTC