Subject: proprietty technology should not be incorporated into internet standards (including RedPhone technology)

From: John Thompson <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 08 Feb 2009 19:27:35 -0700

Dear IETF,

I appreciate all you have done to keep the internet as free as possible, 
and to make the internet better.  Truly, the freedom of the internet is 
the one overarching principle that makes it so great.   This ultimately 
is the reason that patent restricted technology should not be 
incorporated into internet standards.

There is great harm in incorporating patent restricted technology into 
internet standards.  Patents are essentially a right to have a control, 
a monopoly, on an idea.  There are obviously legal means and 
requirements to defend that control, which obviously impacts others.  
Placing such a technology into a standard thus this places the standard 
itself somewhat under proprietary control.  And, it may place 
well-meaning people in harms way.   For example, developers who 
conscientiously try adhere to the standards may not realize that by 
adhering to the standards, they may be putting themselves  and/or their 
users at risk.  (If developers do realize this, they should 
conscientiously object to complying with the doption of the standard, 
and that tends to undermine the credibility of both the standard and the 
organization that passed it.)  And, it creates a cloud a confusion even 
for the people who are aware of the patent.

Please do not allow the RedPhone "TLS authorization" technology to be 
incorporated into internet standards until it is free from all 
proprietary control.  I urge you to use your best intellect and judgment 
in support of internet and software freedom.

Thanks,
John Thompson