RE: W3C Fee based Patent Policy - RAND

[Franck Martin <Franck at SOPAC.ORG>]

This is outrageous as it will stop the development of opensource software.

If the W3C needs money, then they should look from their sponsors. I hope
this won't affect IETF, and that Internet Standard won't become closed, open
only to the RICH countries and RICH people (talk about digital divide!). If
W3C goes in this move, then I suggest that IETF bring back the HTML
standards back into the IETF.

Franck Martin
Network and Database Development Officer
SOPAC South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission
Fiji
E-mail: franck at sopac.org <mailto:franck at sopac.org> 
Web site: http://www.sopac.org/
<http://www.sopac.org/> Support FMaps: http://fmaps.sourceforge.net/
<http://fmaps.sourceforge.net/> 

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-----Original Message-----
From: Shirley Tseng [mailto:shirleytseng at earthlink.net]
Sent: Monday, 1 October 2001 5:37 
To: ietf at ietf.org
Subject: W3C Fee based Patent Policy - RAND


Hi,

Was this discussed by the IETF or via the IETF/W3C liaison committee?  I
didn't see it in the archive.  The review period ends today!

A summary at http://www.openphd.net/W3C_Patent_Policy/
W3C Patent Policy
W3C and the Promotion of Fee-based Standards for the Web

last call review period closes on 30 September 2001

Comment archives are at
http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/www-patentpolicy-comment/

The Working Draft (http://www.w3.org/TR/patent-policy/) (reproduced in the
Patent Policy Frequently Asked Questions,
http://www.w3.org/2001/08/16-PP-FAQ) also states that RAND allows for
licensing audits (RAND "may include reasonable, customary terms relating to
operation or maintenance of the license relationship such as the following:
audit (when relevant to fees), choice of law, and dispute resolution.")


Shirley Tseng
Infinite Global Infrastructures
www.igillc.com
stseng at igillc.com