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Re: [DotGNU]W3C strives for royalty-free patent policy
From: |
Barry Fitzgerald |
Subject: |
Re: [DotGNU]W3C strives for royalty-free patent policy |
Date: |
Sat, 20 Apr 2002 10:26:43 -0400 |
Bill Lance wrote:
>
> It's nice to hear good news once in a while.
>
> http://techupdate.zdnet.com/techupdate/stories/main/0,14179,2861820,00.html
>
>
I'm stull curious to see how this will work out. I'm not sure that
patents should apply at all. If a patent is made under "royalty-free"
terms, then what is the point of that patent to the holder?
As a Free Software person, I understand the terms of defensive patents
and that's all well and good - but defensive patents exist because
offensive use of patents also exists. The primary goal of using patents
is to restrict the flow of ideas - which, IMO, is generally a bad
thing. And a standards body should not be restricting the flow of their
standards. I think that the W3C is generally receptive to this, and I
don't fault them - they have to live in the real world much as we do.
However, there's this thing about patents that is always gnawing at the
back of my head...
-Barry