[JDEV] New Patent Policy at W3C

[Ashvil]

Hi Adam,

From: "Adam Theo" <adamtheo at theoretic.com>
> Ashvil wrote:
> > 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.

Just to be 100% clear. I am not implying that the W3C will charge royalties.
But the patent holder will/can charge royalties.

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

Let assume the patent holder decides that the 'Non Discrimatory' charge to
use a patent is $10 Million a year. How many independent developers/small
companies can pay that.

> > 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.

I am a co-founder of  a software company and I don't see patents as a good
thing. I am pro-IP too, but I cannot support an 'open web standard' that is
tied up with patents. Either the specification is open (and free for use) or
it is NOT.

If a company does not want to license their IP on a royalty free basis then
they should NOT submit it to the W3C or any other web standards body. The
web community designed PNG as an alternative to GIF and this process will
continue. So I do not see any loss from non-contributions that may happen,
if the W3C continues to insist on royalty free contributions. The wheels of
progress will not stop ;-)

> 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.

Does Jabber.org have a patent policy on contributions ?

Regards,
Ashvil