The Patent Policy Framework

World Wide Web Consortium
Patent Policy Working Group

Dear W3C Patent Policy Working Group,

I'm concerned, as most other people are, about the recent Patent Policy
Framework draft, which could allow W3C members to charge royalty fees for
technologies included in web standards.

In particular, I object to the inclusion of a "reasonable and
non-discriminatory" (RAND) licensing option in the proposed policy. I
believe that the exclusive use of a "royalty-free" (RF) licensing model is
in the best interests of the Internet community and in the development of
free standards and technologies (without which, the Internet couldn't have
possibly been what it has become today), and that RAND licensing would
always necessarily exclude some would-be implementors.

I applaud the W3C for its tradition of providing open-source reference
implementations and its work to promote a wide variety of interoperable
implementations of its open standards. The W3C can best continue its work of
"leading the Web to its full potential" by continuing this tradition, and
saying no to RAND licensing.

Sincerely,

Diego Lunetta
ITC - IT Consultants
P.zza Piccapietra 83/2
16127 - Genova (Italy)

Received on Monday, 8 October 2001 08:34:50 UTC