- From: Bill Haneman <bill.haneman@sun.com>
- Date: Sun, 30 Sep 2001 20:50:43 +0100
- To: www-patentpolicy-comment@w3c.org
Hello: The hour is late and the publication of this proposed policy has only just reached my attention, so I will be brief. Though I welcome the W3C's decision to clarify its stand with respect to software patents, and heartily embrace the proposal regarding royalty-free patenting of w3c-related technology and standards, I am disturbed to see even the suggestion that W3C would get involved in the RAND approach to any of its work. As one of the only organizations dedicated to interoperability and standardization of modern information technology and communication, the W3C is surely aware of the central and vital role that free software, distributed free of licensing fees and minimal in IP encumbrance, has played in keeping the Web a vital and heterogeneous vehicle for innovation and grassroots development. I certainly believe that W3C is one organization that, while it may shy from taking a stand on the appropriateness of software patents in general, should unequivocally abstain from encumbering any of the technologies which it promotes or sanctions, no matter how 'reasonably'. To the world of free software (and here I include not only FSF/GNU, etc. but also Apache, BSD, and more), any fee-based licensing, no matter how "reasonable" , has a very serious chilling effect, as there are often no means for collection of even nominal fees, and requiring such may irreconcilably conflict with sich software's existing distribution and development model. Standards are not just about industry consortia, they should be for everyone.... ...FREE for everyone, otherwise they are not really for everyone after all. Sincerely, Bill Haneman 82 Church St, Skerries, Co. Dublin +353 1 819 9279 founding member and contributor, the Gnome Accessibility Project and the Apache-Batik SVG Toolkit
Received on Sunday, 30 September 2001 15:52:56 UTC