The standards are often referred to by the law and public institutions. This means that they become de facto law, even if they do not adhere to fundamental pri

The standards are often referred to by the law and public institutions. This means that they become de facto law, even if they do not adhere to fundamental principles of the law: transparency, and fairness. Standard paywalls thus should be seen as a barrier for the rule of law, not just barrier for innovation. The prices for access to standards made sense in the era, when every document had to be printed instead of downloading as PDF.