- From: <ed@alcpress.com>
- Date: Tue, 2 Oct 2001 08:56:24 -0700
- To: www-patentpolicy-comment@w3.org
I've always viewed W3C as a standards-developing and standards-setting body that acted in the best interests of the Internet and the Internet-using public. I trust the W3C largely because of Tim Berners-Lee. I had never really looked into the details of W3C and its relationship with commercial entities and have always assumed that W3C Recommendations were unencumbered by patents. Now I discover that even W3C has to deal with the ugly world of companies, profits, and patents. Worse, patent holders are working in your own midst and at least one has used deception to benefit from their W3C participation. If you say that RAND is important to the W3C, that there are good reasons for it, and Tim Berners-Lee promises the W3C will always put the interests of the Internet first and patent-holders second, then you have my support. Just remember that Microsoft, and companies that have learned from Microsoft's success, have few scrupples and little sense of fair play. They have a Mafia-like attitude (Nothing personal. It's just business) and should not be trusted. I, personally, would not let them in to the hen house. Ed Sawicki Accelerated Learning Center 503-635-6370
Received on Tuesday, 2 October 2001 11:56:50 UTC