[XML-DEV Mailing List Archive Home] [By Thread] [By Date] [Recent Entries] [Reply To This Message] RE: RAND issues
From: Tim Bray [mailto:tbray@t...] At 01:35 PM 05/10/01 -0500, Bullard, Claude L (Len) wrote: >>So one can assume that when a technology for which >>Oracle holds patents comes up for standardization, >>Oracle will (pick one) >>1. Give up rights to royalties from its competitors, or >>2. Ensure that WG is never approved >These are both reasonable outcomes. And if Oracle's competitors who are also W3C members believe it is vital to their health to have these standards, Oracle's refusal to enable the WG will be allowed to stand? Or if a competitor decides it is tactically sound to form such a WG for the purpose of publicly humiliating Oracle, these are both "reasonable outcomes"? I think you underestimate all that can be "squeezed out of patents". The game is for the patient and well heeled. >The *unacceptable* outcome is that there is eventually >a piece of infrastructure with the W3C imprimatur that you >have to pay toll to Oracle to use." Perhaps so for the underfunded small developer. For the large developer, MPEG licenses are a cost of business and reasonable and non-discrimanatory licenses a standard practice. I hate to see the W3C reduced to creating only specifications for low level technologies for which there are only ever a few implementations needed. I've also seen large buildings emptied and the families of the former occupants move away when a BigCo with a monopoly decided to freely take the patented IP of a smaller company then deprive it of technical information vital to remaining a competitor. It can cut both ways. len
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