Petition

Reference

Press
15/6/2000
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21/6/2000
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7/7/2000
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20/7/2000
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25/10/2000
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20/11/2000
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20/11/2000
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22/11/2000
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22/11/2000
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25/03/2001
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05/06/2001
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06/10/2001
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05/11/2001
  HTML PDF

Statements

Sponsors

Press Release

 

Eurolinux urges W3C to reject patent-encumbered standards

The Eurolinux Alliance joins the statements of its member organisations AFUL and SSLUG in urging the W3C to reject using non-royalty-free patents as basis of any W3C standard.

In particular, the Eurolinux Alliance considers the inclusion of "RAND" licensing to be incompatible with the W3C's mission statement to "lead the Web to its full potential as forum for information, commerce, communication and collective understanding". In addition to the many arguments that already have been put forth, from our perspective we would like to emphasize that:

  • The W3C's justification to introduce RAND licensing into W3C standards due to the fait accompli of business method patents in the US does not take into account that lawmakers in Europe, as a result of opposition from 90,000 individuals and 200 companies, in November 2001, have abstained from removing the non-patentability of computer programs in the European Patent Convention.
  • In these objections by European business, international economists and individual against patents on computer programs interoperability concerns are an important argument. Even onto producers situated in countries where on computer programs are not allowed, RAND patents on W3C standards impose trade barriers to be interoperability on the basis of W3C standards for export into countries that allow patents on computer programs.

Stakeholders are encouraged to join the W3C's discussion list.

See also