Re: The Web may be the last bastion of software freedom

On Sun, Nov 17, 2013, at 04:46 PM, Jeff Jaffe wrote:
> 
> The reason that content protection is in scope for W3C is that we cannot 
> compete if we don't have a framework to accept protected content.  We 
> would like to find a way to do that which is consistent with open web 
> principles.

But this is the problem: content protection as provided by
closed-source, proprietary CDM blobs is functionally equivalent to the
closed boxes with which you claim to be competing.  You're not providing
an alternative to the closed boxes, you're merely providing a means to
interface to them.  There is no competition there, only collusion.

On Sun, Nov 17, 2013, at 04:46 PM, Jeff Jaffe wrote:
> 
>  That's the reason that we have rejected anything 
> proprietary or patent encumbered from the Open Web Platform.

Only after an uproar from the community, just as is happening now with
your declaring DRM as in-scope.

* http://www.theregister.co.uk/2001/10/01/the_free_webs_over_as/
* http://www.w3.org/2001/10/patent-response
* http://www.advogato.org/article/352.html

Then, as now, the W3C started out down a path that would prove
disastrous to the Open Web.  Then, as now, there was an outcry from
developers across the world.

Will you listen now, as you did then?

-- 
Duncan Bayne
ph: +61 420817082 | web: http://duncan-bayne.github.com/ | skype:
duncan_bayne

I usually check my mail every 24 - 48 hours.  If there's something
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Received on Monday, 18 November 2013 21:15:53 UTC