RE: [xml-dev] [Fwd: W3C ridiculous new policy on patents]

["Bullard, Claude L (Len)" <clbullar@ingr.com>]

You're in country now.  Welcome to the bush. 
A draft isn't voluntary because the destination 
is unpopular.

Big companies do back off.  Note the recent 
MS decisions on Passport.   I doubt we had any 
influence there; Spy vs Spy, but they did have 
to compromise.  The W3C is not about little guys. 
I suspect that is why OASIS is becoming more 
popular for experimental efforts while the 
W3C is becoming WebISO.

len

-----Original Message-----
From: Simon St.Laurent [mailto:simonstl@simonstl.com]

On Mon, 2001-10-01 at 15:45, Bullard, Claude L (Len) wrote:
> That's why one learns to read the contracts 
> and keeps a lawyer around to ask. Failure to 
> know the law is not a defense against prosecution.

And neither is failure to support the law.

Unfortunately, certain key organizations (US PTO, US Govt generally, and
now W3C) seem to be caving in to some rather gratuitous claims made by
powerful companies.

Not everyone can afford a lawyer - I can always call my brother, but
patent specialists in particular are pricey.  This isn't a libertarian
paradise where we can all afford the help we might need.

As I said, these so-called contracts are more bondage than benefit,
often entered into on terms that are far from voluntary.