Re: IBM's comment on w3c patent policy

By now you're aware that your position on RAND is extremely unpopular,
and that HP is linking to your comment to show that HP is more open than
IBM (see http://perens.com/Articles/HP_And_W3C_Standards.html ).

I hope IBM reconsiders their support of RAND for web standards;
as HP states, RAND is an oxymoron, because it *does* discriminate
against Open Source.  If the W3C starts issuing standards under RAND
terms, the Open Source and Free Software communities will promote 
competing standards, and the W3C will become as irrelevant as, say, the ISO
when it comes to web standards.

Think again before you ruin the w3c, and say NO to RAND terms for web 
standards!

Sincerely,
Dan Kegel
dank@kegel.com
http://www.kegel.com