Berners-Lee comes out fighting to save Web

While many media applications run in external viewers these days – think the separate RealOne player – Mr Berners-Lee is concerned that by making all inline content apps subject to patent, it would effectively wipeout millions, billions of webpages that form the history of the Web.

How? Because the people that own the patent, Eolas Technologies Inc, decided they would use their patent to sue Microsoft, claiming infringement in Internet Explorer. In August, a judge agreed and awarded Eolas $521 million. Microsoft is currently appealing the decision but it has already made clear it plans to redesign Explorer to bypass the patent.

Berners-Lee is no friend of Microsoft, particularly since Explorer regularly steamrollers over the W3C efforts to build international standard consensus by including its own proprietary features. However in this case, he is infuriated by companies attempting to claim ownership of parts of the system he helped build just to sue other companies and build a fat bank balance. If Explorer does change, it will not be backwards compatible – another nasty precedent that W3C is desperate to avoid.

[The Register]

2 Replies to “Berners-Lee comes out fighting to save Web”

  1. Who needs IE, there are so many good browsers out there that are better! Netscape, Mozilla, Safari. Also reading your other entries and congrats on your forth coming baby with your wife Ashley!

  2. I hear you on IE… and I wish that was all the suit covered but unfortunately the case really hits everyone with the manner in which the EMBED tag is being challenged. The use of Flash, Quicktime and Real as well as any other rich media technology would be effected.

    AND – thanks for the good thoughts regarding our pregnancy!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.