Re: Formally Object to Referencing WhatWG within the W3C HTML5 specification

Hi Bijan

I'm not sure that the legal status of the groups can't be so easily 
dismissed. Not in this particular instance, when we're no longer sure 
who does have a right to lay claim to copyright of HTML5.

But I'm also not a lawyer, so feel uncomfortable arguing legalities. 
However, one aspect I am comfortable arguing is that the WhatWG is 
nothing more than a handful of people from a couple of different 
companies, all of which signed a membership agreement with the W3C when 
they continued to work on HTML5 within the W3C.

Who owns copyright of HTML5? I assert that the only legal copyright 
holder is the W3C.

Regardless of legalities, though, this concept of a "shadow" 
specification that differs from the existing W3C document can't 
continue. It causes confusion, and we're always at risk for the editor 
"disagreeing" with a W3C decision, and in a spiteful, and willful 
manner, working subtly to undermine the credibility--not only of the 
W3C, but HTML5.

The W3C may not be able to stop creative editing of the WhatWG document, 
but it can remove all references to the WhatWG document, and yes, the 
WhatWG email group, from the HTML5 spec. If people have problems with 
the HTML5 document, they should go to one place to argue the problem; 
one place to file bugs; one place to ensure that they're getting the 
most accurate version of HTML5.

Shelley

Received on Wednesday, 9 June 2010 12:28:11 UTC