great concern regarding planned future W3C patent policy

Hello,

I herewith express my great concerns regarding the currently planned
W3C patent policy.

The current proposal would lead to massive problems for corporate
planning savety in the field of Free Software. Free Software
business has shown to be one of the most vital innovations for the
IT market.

Adopting Free Software, possibly modifying it and selling services
around it would be a business with uncalculatable risk with the current
patent policy as proposed by the W3C: Whenever we adopt a Free Software
tool with this 'W3C royalty free stamp', use it in any way different than
the original allowed field of use (or only if the field of use
is just arguable) we can be pulled into a legal trouble of
uncalculatable costs.

Using W3C standards implemented as Free Software would henceforth mean
an economic risk that is to be avoided by companies. Avoiding W3C
standards would follow and at the end of the day undermine the actual
mission of W3C.

Please keep W3C standards clear of any patents.

Best Regards

	Dr. Jan-Oliver Wagner
	Managing Director

-- 
Intevation GmbH	              	     http://intevation.net/

Received on Monday, 2 December 2002 16:43:53 UTC