comment on W3C Royalty-Free Patent Policy

I'm writing to comment on the W3C Royalty-Free Patent Policy, 
and the contentious issues surrounding patent restictions as
they relate to the GPL.

I understand that a great number of people are probably writing
to express that this draft should be rejected because they 
disagree with software patents in general.  I completely agree
that software patents are a bad thing, but the very name of the
W3C Royalty-Free Patent Policy places it quiet squarely in the 
realm covering software patent of dealing with the fact that 
software patents exist.

I'd suggest that arguements focusing on the fact that software 
patents are bad should be heard as a voice crying out for the 
need for a W3C Patent-Free Policy, but those voices are not 
relevant to a discussion as to Royalty-Free status.


I urge the W3C to request public imput regarding patent constraints
as they relate to standards.  There exists a widely held belief 
that web standards should not be contrained by potentially 
restrictive patents.


That said, I favor the ACCEPTANCE of this policy.

Received on Tuesday, 7 January 2003 09:54:25 UTC