Subject: Please oppose patent-encumbered technologies, including draft-housley-tls-authz-extns

From: Ben Finney <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 27 Oct 2007 09:31:52 +1000

To whom it may concern,

I have been made aware that the technology described in the
'draft-housley-tls-authz-extns' proposal is encumbered by patents held
by entities with a history of patent enforcement.

All software developers, regardless of whether they produce free
software or proprietary, are hindered in their work by software idea
patents. A technology thus encumbered by patents is available only to
a select few, and their work is subject to whatever whims the holder
of the patent decides to impose.

If a technology is known to be encumbered by patents, yet is proposed
as a standard for the internet, it would be harmful to all software
users.

It is also folly to give legitimacy to the practice of patenting
software algorithms by recognising such patents and endorsing the
technology in any form of standards process.

Please, reject 'draft-housley-tls-authz-extns' from any consideration
by IETF processes until the technology it describes is explicitly free
for everyone to implement for any purpose.

-- 
 \       "A 'No' uttered from deepest conviction is better and greater |
  `\       than a 'Yes' merely uttered to please, or what is worse, to |
_o__)                                  avoid trouble." —Mahatma Gandhi |
Ben Finney

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