RAND: sounds like end of free web software, originator of WWW & W3C from Danilo Almeida on 2001-10-09 (www-patentpolicy-comment@w3.org from October 2001)

From: Danilo Almeida <dalmeida@MIT.EDU>
Date: Tue, 9 Oct 2001 00:31:18 -0400
To: <www-patentpolicy-comment@w3.org>
Message-ID: <HNEIIHFKGMFJALPPICEAIEGBCKAA.dalmeida@mit.edu>

4.(e).5 states:

[A RAND license] may be conditioned on payment of reasonable,
non-discriminatory royalties or fees;

What is "reasonable and non-discriminatory"?  If I am writing free software,
a reasonable fee would be $0 because charging any more than $0 for a license
for free software is not reasonable.  But if the patent holder charges
someone $0 and someone else $5, would that not be discriminatory?

RAND, as it stands, does not make sense...  That is, unless the elimination
of free web software is the desired goal.  However, having the W3C eliminate
free web software is not acceptable, especially considering that the web
(and thus W3C) has its origins in free software.

- Danilo Almeida

Received on Tuesday, 9 October 2001 00:47:11 UTC