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W3C Chastises Apple On HTML5 Patenting

Posted by Soulskill on from the play-nice-with-the-other-children dept.

angry tapir writes "The W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) is seeking to invalidate a pair of Apple patents so the underlying technologies can be used as part of a royalty-free HTML5 stack. The patented technologies are core components to the W3C's Widget Access Request Policy, which specifies how mobile applications can request sensitive material. It is one of a number of specifications that are closely tied to the W3C's next generation standard for Web pages and applications, HTML5."

7 of 126 comments (clear)

  1. Time to change Bill's 'Borg' icon by MetalliQaZ · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ...to a Borgified Steve Jobs.

    --
    "Here Lies Philip J. Fry, named for his uncle, to carry on his spirit"
    1. Re:Time to change Bill's 'Borg' icon by mandark1967 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Piss Off.

      Signed,

      Steve Jobs

      (sent from my iPhone)

      --
      Sig Follows: "Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself." -- Mark Twain
  2. Good! by houstonbofh · · Score: 5, Insightful

    About time one of the bodies stood up to a member trying to turn it into a money tap. Should have started with rambus.

    1. Re:Good! by gstoddart · · Score: 5, Insightful

      About time one of the bodies stood up to a member trying to turn it into a money tap. Should have started with rambus.

      Agreed, I think part of actually sitting on these committees and the like should be a "no submarine patent" clause, and a rule that says that since this stuff is meant to be open, it it inherently something which can't be patented.

      Sitting in on the development of a standard and then patenting those components is dirty pool. Same, likewise, is the old MS trick of helping to develop the spec and then releasing something which is 'mostly' like the spec so you can have it be proprietary.

      Sadly, in an age where patents are used to fight your competitors, actual open standards don't seem to be something companies are interested in fostering.

      --
      Lost at C:>. Found at C.
    2. Re:Good! by Solandri · · Score: 4, Informative

      Agreed, I think part of actually sitting on these committees and the like should be a "no submarine patent" clause, and a rule that says that since this stuff is meant to be open, it it inherently something which can't be patented.

      That was actually the case with JEDEC. Part of their contract for membership was that members would file no patents (submarine or otherwise) on the memory specifications being discussed, and any patents already in process would be disclosed to the other members. The Courts actually found RAMBUS in violation of this part of the contract. However, since RAMBUS' violation was of a private contract between private party, and not a violation of U.S. law, any punishment had to originate in the contract. And the membership contract didn't specify any penalties for a member filing a submarine patent. Basically even though RAMBUS violated the intent and spirit of membership to screw over the other members, the only recourse available to JEDEC was to kick RAMBUS out of JEDEC.

      So it's not enough merely to have these clauses. You must also list specific and brutal punishments for anyone violating them.

  3. Meh by UnknowingFool · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Reading the article, the W3C believes that there is enough prior art to invalidate the patents. The patents seem very broad to me. There is the chance that Apple will provide them royalty free to the consortium as it may be a defense patent. I however didn't read any "chastising" but I suggest you not read Florian's blog. It's filled with his usual dribble of near total speculation and very little basis in reality.

    --
    Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
  4. They once told tales... by bhunachchicken · · Score: 4, Interesting

    ... of the wicked king Gate, who tormented his peoples by raping and pilaging the standards. For he believed that from his throne, only he could command what people who read and see, and how they should do it.

    "Help us!" cried the people. "Will someone please do away with this madman and bring us technology that we can love and a man whom we can follow and trust!"

    And lo, did a man step up, his man Jobs, his name noble and his deeds promising to be just. Gathering an army of Pods, he made for Gate's castle, unseating him and casting him from the realm.

    His peoples set up shop, The Apple Store, and all was good for many years. The people prospered, adoring his fine gifts of Pods and Phones and TVs and Books.

    Peace had come to the kingdom of Net...

    ... or so it seemed. For Jobs grew comfortable in his position, feeling that it was his right and his only to remain here. Turning to his closest servants his said to them: "We must keep the unworthy from this place! In order to keep Net free and clean, we must destroy the Flash!"

    "Gordon?" came the reply.

    "All of them," Jobs said, as he stood on his balcony. He then grinned, turning to face the seas of W3C, the Free Lands. "Tonight, the true battle begins... and nothing can save them. Not Google, nor their Androids." He patted at the papers in his cloak, the Patents of Power; the ancient documents that would mean he could never be defeated...

    The Moral of the Story: Power Corrupts :)

    --
    THE HONOUR OF THE KNIGHTS - CC Licensed Sci-Fi Novel