[XML-DEV Mailing List Archive Home] [By Thread] [By Date] [Recent Entries] [Reply To This Message] RE: WWW /= W3C: Has W3C mission changed?
Yet another wrinkle... so stepping back, why spec or standardize heavily patented technology? <assert>In effect, the patent is already restricting innovative development and has the effect of standardization.</assert> It comes back around to a different policy: how does the W3C decide to pursue a specification/standardization process? The difficulty seems to be in establishing when a technology is encumbered and how does one determine that without research or membership disclosure? In effect, if one discovers some domain has facets that are patented and there are not acceptable alternatives for the critical parts, why would one want to pursue a standard? There are reasons, but some kind of rules for settling this would seem to be useful. Who wants to be a chair for a hotly contested technology standard if one isn't a patent owner or for which there isn't already a clear need that makes the acceptance of the RAND terms preferable to not having the standard? len -----Original Message----- From: Jeff Greif [mailto:jgreif@a...] Sent: Tuesday, October 02, 2001 1:01 PM To: Jonathan Borden; Bullard, Claude L (Len); xml-dev@l... Subject: Re: WWW /= W3C: Has W3C mission changed? If I understand correctly, a submarine patent is one that is applied for (thus setting the date of invention) and then repeatedly extended or amended before being granted by the patent office, thus delaying for (in some cases) several years the public disclosure that goes with patent awards. Then the patent can be used to go after people who infringed unknowningly. I think there have been recent attempts to change USPTO policy with regard to these patents to make this tactic less fruitful. The issue is not failing to enforce a patent, but failing to disclose a pending patent.
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