Comments Regarding RAND Wroking draft

Hello,

I am writing to express my extreme dissatisfaction with the RAND working 
draft.  I believe that its adoption will be detrimental to the entire 
internet and to the W3C itself.

The growth of the internet has largely been a result of freely available 
protocols and specifications.  From the protocol level (TCP/IP), through 
the common RFC specifications, to the open document formats heretofore 
supported by the W3, the open and royalty-free nature of the 
specifications has been crucial as an engine of adoption and the 
development of a level playing field for all members of the community. 
 Indeed, the growth seen over the past several years in the WWW, and the 
attendant business growth, are arguably because of these open and 
royalty-free standards.

Allowing non-royalty free material to become part of any W3 
specification leaves the door open for different companies to become 
gateways to the future internet.  Because the provisions within the RAND 
working draft create an incentive for companies to include as much 
patented material as possible in W3 recommendations,  the adoption of 
the RAND working draft in any degree would lead us down a slippery slope 
towards a future of completely encumbered specifications.

As I said earlier, this would be detrimental to the W3C, as well.  When 
companies have become gateways to the adoption of W3 recommendations, 
the W3 will stop being as relevant, as it will no longer be the last 
word in the adoption of the standard.

Accordingly, I must recommend AGAINST the adoption of the working draft 
as strongly as I am able.

Thank you,

Van Lindberg

Received on Sunday, 30 September 2001 10:48:15 UTC