W3C Back to RAND "Exception?"

[Seth Johnson <seth.johnson@RealMeasures.dyndns.org>]

-------- Original Message --------
Date: 09 Jul 2002 16:29:13 +1200
From: Adam Warner <lists@consulting.net.nz>
To: lwn@lwn.net, editors@linuxtoday.com

Dear LWN and Linux Today,

On Monday Susan Lesch disclosed that the Chair of the W3C
(who is Daniel Weitzner) and three undisclosed W3C
participants made an exception proposal to bring back a type
of RAND track/hybrid:

http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/www-patentpolicy-comment/2002Jul/0000.html

The idea is that anything not defined as "Core" can require
royalties and perhaps still be a standard promoted by the
W3C. Through this public relations filter we are told that
"The consensus seemed to be that specs built on top of Core
work are valuable and that standardizing them is important."

It's fortunate that this consensus is shattered by the next
fact disclosed: "The group did not appear to universally
accept the proposal. Discussion may continue when the group
meets next on 8 July."

I am confident that the W3C will not produce a satisfactory
definition of "Core" technologies. It is likely to be
defined as anything that is not an "Extension". And
Extensions will be defined as anything that may require a
royalty. Core will just end up as anything that happens to
be left over that's royalty free. And there will be little
of that because W3C members will have the easy opt out of
creating Extensions.

Note that I have carbon copied this message to a mailing
list that tracks such issues (C-FIT) and put up the same
comment at my web site:
> http://www.openphd.net/W3C_Patent_Policy

I'm not seeking individual publicity. Feel free to promote
this issue without attribution. The issue may become clearer
when we find out what happened at the 8 July meeting in
seven or so days time.

Regards,
Adam Warner


C-FIT Community Discussion List
List Parent: seth.johnson@RealMeasures.dyndns.org
C-FIT Home:  http://RealMeasures.dyndns.org/C-FIT

To Subscribe/Unsubscribe:
------------------------------------------------------------
Send "[Un]Subscribe C-FIT_Community" To
Listserv@RealMeasures.dyndns.org