- From: Ralph Hyre <rhyre@csweb.com>
- Date: Tue, 09 Oct 2001 14:10:58 -0400
- To: <www-patentpolicy-comment@w3.org>
I urge standards groups to eschew any attempts to control the standards through commercial processes. To be successful, standards must be widely available, then widely implemented. If the W3C has a goal of maximizing the implementation of standards, then NO standard that is the subject of a patent should be adopted. The battle over the P3P standard is an example of why adopting any technology that is the subject of a patent. Once patents are involved, you end up having to spend money on attorneys, which detracts from the W3C's core technical mission of developing and promulgating standards. If the W3C has a goal of supporting commercial entities, then it's easy to see why an RAND (Reasonable and Non-Discriminatory [fees]) policy is the only possibility that would be acceptable to companies that have large sums of money to spend on attorneys and technical writers. If the W3C has a goal of producing standards that will actually be implemented, then RF is the only acceptable policy. - Ralph Hyre
Received on Tuesday, 9 October 2001 14:10:59 UTC