Reject the Patent Policy Framework.

To whom it may concern:

1. I object to RAND or any other non-RF license for
Internet standards.

2. Standards in general are good. They give a basis
for interaction and exchange of data. Unfortunately,
by allowing the acceptance of standards which are not
free, truly free software can not exist in compliance,
and thus cannot conform to the standard. Proprietary
software outside of patent holders will many times be
forced to pay royalties for compliance, giving
incentive to deviate from any standard with RAND. This
situation is not to the advantage of the W3C, nor free
software, nor the majority of proprietary software
vendors. Software, regardless of licensing model,
should be able to comply with standards.

The W3C has done some excellent work. Please do not
tarnish and diminish your future work with non-free
standards. I was very surprised and disappointed to
read about RAND and didn't believe that it could be
anything like the initial report I read. I went to
w3c.org for the details, only to find that what I had
read was true.

Free/Open software has in large been your most loyal
and standards-compliant base out there. This same base
will not be able to comply with standards requiring
royalties. By allowing RAND, you will be turning away
many of those who have followed W3C recommendations
and created compliant software.

I'm very disappointed that the Patent Policy Framework
as written has made it this far. I hope reason will
prevail.

Keep Internet standards free and open. Reject the
Patent Policy Framework.


-Brock Frazier
 Boise, Idaho USA

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Received on Thursday, 11 October 2001 23:10:39 UTC