Re: Please Help Pass W3C Patent Policy
Bruce,
I understand your argument, but I have also read the FSF's argument at:
http://www.fsf.org/philosophy/w3c-patent.html
If, as you say, the holders of patents took their toys to play elsewhere rather
than participating in the W3C standards process, this might actually have some
benefit.
1. The patent holders wouldn't get their patents stamped with the W3C seal of
approval.
2. Nothing that can legitimately claim to be a web standard would be encumbered
in any way by a patent.
Of course #2 only applies to the extent that the W3C maintains its reputation
as being the one true source of legitimate web standards.
I acknowledge that the patent holders might get a standard issued with all sort
of encumbrances by some other body. But encumbered standards happen all the
time. I think there is some safety in the knowledge that Free Software would
not get written that uses the patents, and that would help the encumbered
standards to fail.
After reflecting on it for a little while, I feel it is better for Free
Software that implements a restrictive patent not to exist at all than to exist
with the encumbrances the proposed policy would require. There are other
things people can do with their computers, things for which patent-free Free
Software would spring up, thus assisting the market failure of the patents.
That might not be the case if there were Free Software that implemented a patent.
Respectfully,
Mike Crawford
--
Michael D. Crawford
GoingWare Inc. - Expert Software Development and Consulting
http://www.goingware.com/
crawford@goingware.com
Tilting at Windmills for a Better Tomorrow.
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