What is the difference between an open standard and open source software?
In general terms: open source refers to software, and open standards refer to documents (that may then be implemented by software). There is no single definition global for either term. Some elements of openness that apply to W3C standards include: • All standards are available publicly at no cost • W3C adopted a Patent Policy in 2004 with the stated goal of assuring “that Recommendations produced under this policy can be implemented on a Royalty-Free (RF) basis. • W3C Process requires that groups address public comments • All technical comments are handled on their merits, whether they are made by W3C Members or public. • W3C’s process is vendor-neutral. • W3C’s persistence policy seeks to ensure that standards will be available at the same URI, unchanged, indefinitely.
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