- From: Anoop Sarkar <tenggeri@yahoo.com>
- Date: Thu, 4 Oct 2001 10:26:47 -0700 (PDT)
- To: www-patentpolicy-comment@w3.org
As I understand it, you cannot have a standard (at least not a very useful one) without a reference implementation. Without such an implementation, you get only a vague notion of what the standard should be. Having to pay royalties for the use of a reference implementation is an abhorrent idea. You point out that the IETF has allowed the use of patents. This is a false analogy (as evidenced by several postings that have pointed this out). By going down this path you open up a Pandora's box of reverse-engineering questions and the use of the DMCA to proscecute web developers. Standards were always a way that reasonable consensus could be formed between developers *without* the use of lawyers at every step. With the inclusion of RAND, there will be lawyers at every step. Is this what you want your legacy to be? Anoop Sarkar __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? NEW from Yahoo! GeoCities - quick and easy web site hosting, just $8.95/month. http://geocities.yahoo.com/ps/info1
Received on Thursday, 4 October 2001 13:26:48 UTC