[JDEV] New Patent Policy at W3C

[Adam Theo]

Ashvil wrote:

> http://www.openphd.net/W3C_Patent_Policy/
> 
> http://www.w3.org/TR/patent-policy/
> 
> What this means is that the W3C can create a recommendation that becomes 
> a defato web standard and any implementation will/may have to pay 
> royalties.


well, technically, yes. but i seriously doubt they would ever charge 
fees to use their standards. what they are doing here is trying to 
resolve any IP disputs that have/could pop up. disputs such as "if Apple 
contributes to a w3c spec, who owns that IP? Apple, or the w3c?". i am 
not familiar with the workings of thr w3c, but i imagine this is a 
result of some trouble in the past where a corporation contributor has 
tried to claim IP on part of a w3c standard they helped to create.

so i don't think this is the w3c trying to get licensing fees, but 
rather them trying to stop it.

one of my fav. websites explains it:
http://www.winterspeak.com/


> 
> Should the Jabber specifications and any derived work be placed in a 
> 'Patent Free Zone' OR do folks believe that Patents are the foundation 
> of our IP (Intellectual Property) industry.  


well, my personal belief is very pro-IP. i see Patents as overall a good 
thing, although need to be rationalized out again in the courts.

but, on the matter of jabber: jabber itself, patent free, of course. but 
  technologies that use jabber, such as middleware components, etc... 
could be patented, i think... nothing stopping them as long as they 
don't try to claim jabber protocol itself.

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