Re: [DotGNU]W3C strives for royalty-free patent policy

[Barry Fitzgerald]

Bill Lance wrote:
> 
> It's nice to hear good news once in a while.
> 
> http://techupdate.zdnet.com/techupdate/stories/main/0,14179,2861820,00.html
> 
>

I'm stull curious to see how this will work out.  I'm not sure that
patents should apply at all.  If a patent is made under "royalty-free"
terms, then what is the point of that patent to the holder?

As a Free Software person, I understand the terms of defensive patents
and that's all well and good - but defensive patents exist because
offensive use of patents also exists.  The primary goal of using patents
is to restrict the flow of ideas - which, IMO, is generally a bad
thing.  And a standards body should not be restricting the flow of their
standards.  I think that the W3C is generally receptive to this, and I
don't fault them - they have to live in the real world much as we do. 
However, there's this thing about patents that is always gnawing at the
back of my head...

        -Barry