The new W3C patent related policy seems a bad thing

Dear Sirs,

 I admire the historical role of the W3C for its work in promoting
 truly open Web standards.
 Thus it seems it would be a serious backward step if the W3C where to
 effectively promote patented computer-technology by changing their
 patent policy, and in particular by introducing the "RAND" licensing
 model.
 As I understand it, the W3C partially represents the interests of
 many companies interested in exploitation of patented
 technology. This may be beneficial to those companies but would be
 against the wider aim of the W3C of promoting universal, open
 standards. Surely we have enough collective intelligence to build the
 web from the ground up in a fully open fashion.

 Further information that I essentially agree with is at:
  http://www.openphd.net/W3C_Patent_Policy

 Perhaps the deadline for public comment on this should be extended,
 as it only recently seems to have come to public knowledge? (as far as
 I can tell),

 Richard Phillips

Received on Sunday, 30 September 2001 13:07:58 UTC