Eliminate RAND option from new patent policy, only allow RF

I've been involved with the W3C for some time now, since I was 
approached by Jon Bozak to join this XML working group that he'd 
managed to convince the W3C to sponsor. Since then I've also been a 
member of the XLink working group, and have been involved in XML 
namespaces, XLink, XPointer (wh/ includes XPath), XML include, and 
XML Base, to varying degrees.

While I believe that the destructive nature of the patents being 
granted by the USPO and other entities may eventually prevent some 
needed standards from being framed, the W3C should stick to the 
principles that made the web what it is today, and mandate 
royalty-free licensing terms for patents held by mamber organizations.

If a patent is essential to the creation of a standard, other 
organizations exist that can be used to propagate it; the ISO and 
ANSI for instance, ECMA, even the IETF (though they have been rather 
cautious in using their RAND option for software). That such a 
standard will _not_ be endorsed by the W3C will hopefully constitute 
a drawback to such options and encourage the RF licensing of patents 
and competition on product quality rather than size of legal staff.

There may be financial implications for the w3c if companies withdraw 
because they won't agree to RF licensing; but there will also be 
repercussions to those companies in the reaction from the developer 
community.

    -- David
-- 
-------------------------------
David Durand                    |  12 Bassett St.
david.durand@ingenta.com        |  Providence RI, 02903-4628 USA
VP, Software Architecture       |  401-331-2014 x111 Cell: 401-935-5317
ingenta plc                     |  FAX: 401-331-2015
http://www.dynamicDiagrams.com/ http://www.ingenta.com/

Received on Thursday, 4 October 2001 12:05:16 UTC