- From: <pelegrin@labri.fr>
- Date: Mon, 01 Oct 2001 00:42:04 +0200 (CEST)
- To: www-patentpolicy-comment@w3.org
- Cc: pelegrin@labri.fr
Dear Sirs/Madams, I am assistant professor in computer science at the ENSEIRB, University of Bordeaux. Two years ago, I have been involved (almost by accident) in the preparation of the first Libre Software Meeting that happened in Bordeaux in July 2000. At this time, with no predefined views on the subject (as a trained engineer, I had considered from far away that patents were useful things), I began reading documentation and forging myself an opinion on software patents. My intimate conclusion is that, in the software area, they are harmful for innovation and its dissemination, and are used as bargaining tools between big players, while putting high market entry barriers for innovative SMEs (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises) that cannot afford legal disputes, even if they are right. I have tried to gather and sort some info in a web page, so please look at its "Economical study" section for further readings: http://www.abul.org/brevets/articles/tsuba_refs.php3?langnew=en You can also refer to http://swpat.ffii.org/ for further, most interesting, references. Considering that Web technologies are now a key access for people to knowledge and education, and considering the current harm of software patents to innovation and libre software players, I urge the W3C to propose only patent-free standards, and not follow the insidious trend of RAND-style standards, most probably proposed by some of its large-player members (such as Microsoft and Philips, I guess) which have made of software patents an economical weapon to secure their respective markets at their own, private, profit. By following the dangerous trend of non-free standards, the W3C would fail in its mission of public service for the whole community, and would lose a great deal of credibility and sympathy. In the long term, it would be some sort of suicide. The origin of WWW was in the free dissemination of knowledge, and it should be the mission of W3C, forever. Sincerely, f.p.
Received on Sunday, 30 September 2001 18:42:13 UTC