Web freedom fighters strike back at corporate interests

NEWS A move to allow the likes of Microsoft and Sun to milk millions from the web's underlying technology has been derailed - if only for the time being. The body responsible for online standards, the Worldwide Web Consortium (W3C), has until now ensured that these standards are rarely based on patents - and when they are, has seen to it that no one enforces them and makes money as a result. But this policy changed recently, as is outlined in the W3C's 'Reasonable and Non-Discriminatory' licensing proposal - otherwise known as RAND. In essence, the proposal states that companies should be able to exploit for commercial gain any patents they own on technologies which are used by surfers and developers. The consultation period for RAND was due to end on 30 September - but many parts of the internet community, angered at what they saw as a blow to the very principles of the web, have managed to persuade the W3C to extend that period. A representative of the EuroLinux Alliance - an organisation opposed to software patenting in Europe - said he was "shocked and troubled by the proposal". Stefane Fermigier, president of the French-speaking Linux Users' Association, said: "How can this be compatible with Tim Berners-Lee's vision of the web? Are his ideas dead?" Fermigier is worried that a scenario could evolve which will see large corporations advancing further and edging smaller companies and free software developers out. If the patents are enforced, the likes of Microsoft, HP, Apple and Sun - who not surprisingly are backing the proposal - could be in for huge financial gains. The original closing date was 30 September, but the W3C has now extended this to 11 October. Read the full proposal here http://www.w3.org/TR/patent-policy