Veerle's blog

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) asks the American government to deal with the patent which recently gave Microsoft a giant fine. Inside the web organization there is some concern about the consequences that the verdict will have on several internet companies. 

In a long letter to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), W3C-director Tim Berners-Lee states that the long disputed webtechnology exists much longer then the patent of the university of California and Eolas. If proven, this will be a good reason to declare the patent invalid. The fact that Berners-Lee, inventor of the Web, interferes in the discussion is an unusual move.

Patent 5.838.906 describes a technology to integrate media through plug-ins directly in a web-page. “The W3C encourages the USPTO to re-examine the 906-patent so that substantial economic and technical damage to the web can be avoided”, writes Berners-Lee. The W3C-director fears that the patent will have severe consequences for innocent web developers. “In many occasions they will be the ones that have to pay for the modifications on web-pages and software applications and not those who are violating the patent.”

Lets hope that Berners-Lee has enough influence on the verdict and that we (web developers) will be saved from this drama. I would really hate to adjust all those websites made in Flash of all my clients. I think we have already a lot to deal with like browser and platform compatibility, W3C approval, plug-in checking etc. so enough is enough… Fingers crossed that this patent will be declared invalid, it would be a very very big relief for me.