RAND policy objection

	I would like to register my objection to the proposed (albeit
already in use) policy on "reasonable and non-discriminatory" patents in
future W3C standards. As a user (and developer) of free and open-source
software, the adoption of this policy would threaten my ability to develop
new programs following such patented standards.

	If faced with such a roadblock, the only solution available would be
to 'fork' the standards as mentioned by many people of more experience than
myself. This could have the eventual effect of forking the entire web into 2
or more parts, basically those who pay for and use commercial software and
those who use free and open source software.

	I do not see how that scenario could possibly be considered an
improvement over the current situation of royalty-free standards.

	Please keep W3C standards royalty-free!

Eric Johnson
Software Engineer
Lindsay Manufacturing Co.

Received on Thursday, 4 October 2001 10:08:39 UTC