[Mono-list] patents on ISO/ECMA C#

[Yannick Koehler]

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Le October 18, 2002 01:22 am, Matt Liotta a écrit:   /   On October 18, 2002 
01:22 am, Matt Liotta wrote:
> From my interview with David Stutz of Microsoft
> (http://www.devx.com/free/hotlinks/2002/ednote061902/ednote061902-1.asp)
> ...
>
> Q. On which parts of the ECMA specification does Microsoft hold patents?
> What are Microsoft's plans for enforcement of these patents?
>
> Microsoft's Stutz:
> I am certainly not the right person to ask on this question, and even if
> I were, I would be unlikely to be able to answer, since the Microsoft
> patent portfolio is large and constantly changing, and many patents
> aren't granted for years after they are submitted.
>
> It is important to point out that the reason that Microsoft participated
> in creating ECMA 334 and 335 is precisely so that others will be able to
> create their own commercial CLI implementations. Microsoft is very
> interested in seeing many CLI implementations succeed. To this end,
> Microsoft has said (for literally years now) that implementers of the
> spec will have royalty-free access to Microsoft intellectual property
> that might otherwise stand in the way of their implementing these
> standards.

The bad part is "is precisely so that others will be able to
> create their own commercial CLI implementations.".  The word commercial here 
is probably meaning non-GPL type of license even if you were going to release 
a GPL Commercial version they would probably refuse to let you have the 
rights to their patents...  Why not send a request to Microsoft for that 
royalty free patent ;-)

- -- 

Yannick Koehler
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