With the Debian Free Software Guidelines, later known as the Open Source Definition, we were successful in defining the terms of discourse for an entire industry. Later on, we arrived at a similar cusp, but this time concerning Open Standards rather than Open Source. In the late 1990's and the 2000's, we have seen a number of companies attempting to use patents coupled with standards to erect "toll booths on the Internet" in a way that would, intentionally or coincidentally, exclude Free Software as well as most work of small-and-medium sized proprietary software enterprises. As with the DFSG, it became time to draw a line in the sand and defend it. Thus, here is Open Standards: Principles and Practice.

Discussion of the proposed definition has been completed, and its acceptance has been excellent.

Thanks

Bruce Perens

Open Standards: Principles and Practice.