P3P does not infringe Intermind patent
The World Wide Web consortium (W3C) has released a legal analysis which finds that platform for privacy preferences (P3P) technology does not infringe a patent held by the Intermind Corporation. P3P provides Internet users with more control over the use of their personal information and means that websites can inform users of their privacy practices. The technology was developed in an open collaboration with W3C members, but its widespread use was threatened when the patent holder sought to charge royalties. 'Given the fundamental importance of privacy protection on the Web, and our commitment to open standards, we decided that it was our responsibility to provide the community with a thorough analysis of the relationship between the patent and P3P,' said Daniel Weitzner, technology and society domain leader at W3C responsible for P3P development.