W3C Extends Comment Period for Patent Proposal

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Some people are interpreting this as an attempt by large corporations to grab the web, others see it as an opportunity for developers to get their fair share. It would probably fall somewhere in the middle.

The W3C are specifically looking for feedback concerning three different issues. Quoting from a message posted October 1:

As the proposed policy includes proposals such as:

• a requirement for disclosure provisions (Section 7);
• a procedure for launching new standards development activities as Royalty-Free Licensing Mode activities (sections 4 and 5);
• a procedure for launching new standards development activities as Reasonable and Non-Discriminatory (RAND) Licensing Mode activities (sections 4 and 5);

Some Links

• The draft proposal
• A synopsis of the proposed policy with some additional background information (provided by the W3C)
• An in-depth discussion with some proposed changes
• The address for mailing comments: www-patentpolicy-comment@w3.org
• The archive of received comments