In article <r7e9e4-c7v.ln1@g...>, 
simon@j... says...
> I think you are deluding yourself. In most of the world, software patents
> are illegal anyway (as they should be). In the US, where they're not
> illegal, as you yourself say the people likely to 'embrace and extend' a
> successful standard are Microsoft. Do you think you could afford a battle
> with Microsoft in the US courts? How many billion dollars could you
> personally afford to pay your lawyers?
> 

Technically, this wouldn't be a software patent. It would be a process 
patent. If patents on standards were worthless, do you think Sun would 
have patented Open Document Format? Perhaps. Big companies patent how 
many steps it took to get down the hall today, just in case. 

I wouldn't battle Microsoft in the courts. I would battle them in the 
public press. I would shame Bill Gates for trying to monopolize education 
and profit from the suffering of the poor. I would also write his wife a 
letter asking her to appeal to what little conscience he has left.

Besides, are you saying that I should never try to protect intellectual 
property just because someone like Bill Gates could steal it if they 
wanted to? If that were the case then we might as well just stop 
inventing anything and let Microsoft and IBM do it all.

If I don't protect the standard then I will have more than Microsoft to 
deal with. I will then have to deal with every shyster with a lawyer 
trying to horn in on my invention.

I want to give it away for free. But, in order to do that, I have to 
ensure that it will stay free.