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September 24, 2006
IEEE 802.20
Given
the landscape, you might think that standards committees "accidentally" adopting
patented technology is, well, somewhat standard. The image compression JPEG
standard has been a cash cow for Forgent Networks, owner of the patent
smothering JPEG. While the DRAM market itself is a cesspool of corporate
corruption, DRAM standards have been a boon to patent-holder Rambus. Now IEEE
belatedly tries to put its wireless communication protocol standard IEEE 802.20
back on the rails after potential surreptitious patent-peddling concerns.
After suspending work in June over hijack concerns of the standards committee by Qualcomm sycophants, IEEE has rearranged the deck chairs on its 802.20 standards Titanic, and is ready to set sail again.
Standards are adopted in IEEE working groups under a one-person/one-vote protocol. IEEE executive management seems to be just figuring out that standards committees are an open invitation to influence peddling by vested interests, including stacking the deck, and particularly vested interests that would like to embed patented technology into a standard, so as to reap a windfall.
That's the astonishing part. IEEE has set numerous standards over decades. IEEE proclaims itself "a globally recognized standards-setting body". And they are just now starting to figure out how to set boundaries for standards committees?! IEEE has yet to consider patent searches in appropriate technology areas, so as to avoid patent landmines when setting standards.
Here's coverage by Beta News.
Posted by Patent Hawk at September 24, 2006 8:46 PM | Patents In Business