[Mono-list] Legal status of Mono

[Paolo Molaro]

On 07/29/02 Rusty wrote:
> 1) Bigger part of .Net is MS?s proprietary intellectual property (IP),
> which is not covered by any standards and is protected by MS?s patents
> and copyright.

You seem highly confused about what copyright means.
We are not copying their code (we don't even look at the rotor sources
like some other CLR implementations).

> 3) MS warned Mono not to infringe on its IP.

Everyone can do that. We do it, too, on our web site, we ask people to
not disassemble/decompile the ms implementation.

> 4) MS can sue (and/or threaten to sue) Mono and anyone who uses Mono if
> MS?s IP is infringed upon

MS can sue (and/or threaten to sue) anyone.

> 5) MS does not ?like? Linux and Open Source:

Many people don't like ms, so what?

> 6) At any time MS can introduce a new patented feature into the
> standardized part of .Net to make any implementation, including Mono,
> to be incompatible with the one provided by MS.

Ask the ECMA people what they think about that.

> 8) Recent changes to the Mono license allow MS to hijack certain parts
> of Mono, if so desired.

If you take a copy of a file from our corlib, surprise, we still got a
copy.

> With reference to the above:
> 1) Has Mono consulted with a competent legal advisor to make sure that
> it does not *currently* infringe on MS?s IP?

Did you check with your competent legal advisor that the word ".Net" you
wrote in your email is a (pending) trademark of ms and that they may
require you to acknowledge that and god knows what else?

> 2) How does Mono plan to ensure that MS does not introduce a new,
> patented feature into the standardized part of .Net, which would make
> Mono implementation incompatible with one by MS?

We have infiltrated a bug in the bill gates office that will tickle him
any time he tries to do or approve such things. Pretty impressive
technology, if you ask me.

> 3) How does Mono plan to implement the bigger portion of .Net that is
> not covered by the standard and is protected by MS?s patents and
> copyright?

I use gvim, but some poor souls out there use emacs.

> 4) What options will Mono users have if Mono is sued and then shutdown
> by MS?

What they should do anyway: tell their congressmen that the us patent
system is useless and/or move to free countries.

lupus / could not resist, sorry

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