W3C clears path for continued work on Open Screen Application Protocol
A W3C Patent Advisory Group has recommended continuing work on the Open Screen Application Protocol after examining patent licensing issues that could affect the development of the proposed web standard.
The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has been advised to continue developing the Open Screen Application Protocol after a Patent Advisory Group examined a potential patent licensing issue related to the work.
The protocol is intended to make it easier for browsers and other devices, such as smart TVs, streaming devices and speakers, to communicate with one another. For example, it could support a user starting a video or web presentation on one device and displaying or controlling it from another. The proposed standard is designed to support existing web technologies such as the Presentation API and Remote Playback API in an interoperable way.
The issue considered by the Patent Advisory Group relates to patents that may be essential to implementing a technical standard. W3C normally seeks to develop standards that can be implemented under royalty-free licensing terms. A Patent Advisory Group can be created when a potentially essential patent has been disclosed but may not be available under those terms.
The group, which was established in September 2025, has now published its report and recommended that W3C continue its work on the Open Screen Application Protocol. The recommendation means that the patent issue does not, at this stage, prevent the technical work from moving forward.
The protocol remains a working draft, meaning that it is still under development and has not yet become a final W3C standard.
