[Mono-list] Legal status of Mono

[Rusty]

Hi,

I came accros a news about Mono project making progress, I started to
read more and I found this statememt by Bruce Perens, HP's Linux
strategist, regarding Mono and Samba: 

"If we don't get that agreement [with MS], I'll be happy to see Ximian
implement this stuff, but I'm not sure I'll touch it. I'm also not sure
I want to let it touch the rest of GNOME very much because if GNOME
becomes dependent on it, it would have a potential weakness there." 

"This means you cannot make a compatible implementation without
potentially infringing on a Microsoft patent. We went ahead and did it
anyway, and Microsoft hasn't enforced that patent, but it doesn't mean
they never will. This is a telling case as they've taken what was an
open protocol and deliberately put in a patent to close it and then
introduced the patented feature in all new systems." 

With reference to the above, 
1) Is there any agreement with MS about Mono?
2) If not, how does Mono project plan to address the above concerns?

Thanks in advance




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