DaveNet : Patents and the W3C
Patents
'The W3C is a consortium of companies of all sizes. My company, UserLand Software, is a member. We agree on a common philosophy -- a level playing field, interoperation between software, and choice for users and developers. That's the foundation that the Web was built on, it's what kept the Web ticking through the dotcom lunacy.'

'Now several large companies, led by Microsoft, Philips, Apple and Hewlett-Packard, are trying to become the platform vendor that the Internet never had, and imho that's totally counter to the charter for the Internet, and therefore, the W3C.'

Allow me to add my "boo!" to the rising chorus.