I am appalled

To Whom It May Concern,

Only minutes before the expiration of the public comment period,
I came accross a summary of your proposed patent policy action
on the Linux Today Web Site.

Really, people, I am absolutely *appalled* that such a momentous
change in policy would be undertaken with so little public
participation in the debate.

The way this has been kept below the public radar suggests the
policy drafters are acting to assure an outcome desired by
their employers (e.g., Microsoft, Kodak).

I fully share Mr. Adam Werner's concerns and support his
suggestions. A copy of his remarks is attached.

It is all too easy to imagine a near future where a web technology
standard as fundamentally important as IP is to the underlying
network would suddenly become captive to a patent holder as
unprincipled as Microsoft. This would be the death of free software
applications supporting the Web.

For independent consultants, such as myself, and for for our
clients, unencumbered standards are crucial requirements for
survival.

I strongly urge you to reject this attempt by your major
corporate members to co-opt ownership of the Web.

Thank you for your attention.

Sincerely,

Dennis W. Tokarski
PolTec Electronics
921 S. Seventh St.
Ann Arbor, MI  48103