W3 recommendations covered by patent(s)

Because HTTP and HTML are "public" protocols, any standards or
recommendations that they cover must also be available to the public
at large.

Any content designer must be able to follow recommendations as they
are provided, without what would otherwise amount to a "mandated tax"
to the patent holder.

If portions of a open standard is available only through royalty
agreements (or for that matter, license agreements) with a third
party, then that cannot be a open standard.  Thus, W3C would cease to
be the authorative body governing public WWW content.

Sincerely,

Tor Slettnes
tor@slett.net
(650) 638-6519.

-- 
Får i ulveklær

Received on Wednesday, 3 October 2001 15:52:57 UTC