W3C Patent Policy Framework Working Draft

As the W3C as welcomed comments from developers on the web based technology, I
offer mine:

As objective as I can be, this move will result in developers leaving the W3C
standards for their own or you will convert many hard working people into
criminals as the royalty payment will be ignored or unknown to the developer.

The web's standard were just comming to a convergence point where the work of
developers and software manufacturers is in tandum.  Many companies were able
to leverage the XML and CSS standards to provide the transfer of knowledge and
the presentation of that knowledge in a controlled format.  The move to patent
and restrict the use of this technology goes in the *exact* opposite direction
of the transfer of knowledge.  

To remind the W3C about it's alleged purpose, from the W3C affilate agreement:

"The purposes of the Consortium are to support the advancement of information
technology in the field of networking, graphics and user interfaces by evolving
the World Wide Web toward a true information infrastructure, and to encourage
cooperation in the industry through the promotion and development of standard
interfaces in the information environment known as the "World Wide Web."

How will *reducing* the number of sites utilizing your technology and force the
generation of a competing standard (which WILL happen) further the W3C's stated
purpose?

How will this impact the poorer facilities, like education, minorities and
other disadvantaged groups unable to pay for the RAND?

When the .gif standard was patented many developers switched to .jpg and will
eventually shift to .png graphics, why does the W3C think developers will not
switch to another standard - we are a business looking for OUR least cost
solutions after all?

Finally, I will keep track of this move and I will *not* be paying any
royalties for what I consider public domain standards - which include the CSS,
XML, HTML, and Javascript standards.  If this makes me a criminal, fine -
thousands and thousands of people are with me and when the competing standard
comes out, I will use it and encourage the people I come in contact with to use
it, my clients and the over 150,000 people who have downloaded my software for
web development will also receive notice that I will not support *any* RAND
licensing products from the W3C and remove every single referance to the RAND
licensing products nor support any customer using them.  Thousands of web
developers visit my site weekly, I have a voice and it isn't in agreement with
the Patent Policy Framework from the W3C.

=====
Paul Davis

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Received on Tuesday, 2 October 2001 14:22:19 UTC