[Mono-list] Re: someone, please clear out that patents issue

[Adam Treat]

--- "J. Perkins" <jason@379.com> wrote:
> A fallback approach, should MS come after Mono, would be to
> rearrange the web services classes under a different namespace.
> And if you really want to get after it, you could propose this
> alternate layout as a standard. I don't know what's involved in
> getting ECMA approval, but it's a thought.
> 
> Jason
> 379

The problem is that the patent attempts to cover much more than the web services or windows forms
api's.  They are asserting patent rights over the breadth of the .NET class libraries ... ECMA
core libraries and all.  Check out the following:

"5. An application program interface embodied on one or more computer readable media, comprising:
a first group of services related to creating Web applications; a second group of services related
to constructing client applications; a third group of services related to data and handling XML
documents; <b>and a fourth group of services related to base class libraries</b>."
...
"9. An application program interface as recited in claim 5, wherein the fourth group of services
comprises: first functions that enable definitions of various collections of objects; second
functions that enable programmatic access to configuration settings and handling of errors in
configuration files; third functions that enable application debugging and code execution tracing;
fourth functions that enable customization of data according to cultural s5 related information;
fifth functions that enable input/output of data; sixth functions that enable a programming
interface to network protocols; seventh functions that enable a managed view of types, methods,
and fields; eighth functions that enable creation, storage and management of various
culture-specific resources; ninth functions that enable system security and permissions; tenth
functions that enable installation and running of services; eleventh functions that enable
character encoding; twelfth functions that enable multi-threaded programming; and thirteenth
functions that facilitate runtime operations."
...
"17. A distributed computer software architecture as recited in claim 11, wherein the application
programming interface exposes multiple functions comprising: first functions that enable
definitions of various collections of objects; second functions that enable programmatic access to
configuration settings and handling of errors in configuration files; third functions that enable
application debugging and code execution tracing; fourth functions that enable customization of
data according to cultural related information; fifth functions that enable input/output of data;
sixth functions that enable a programming interface to network protocols; seventh functions that
enable a managed view of loaded types, methods, and fields; eighth functions that enable creation,
storage and management of various culture-specific resources; ninth functions that enable system
security and permissions; tenth functions that enable installation and running of services;
eleventh functions that enable character encoding; twelfth functions that enable multi-threaded
programming; and thirteenth functions that facilitate runtime operations."
...
"42. A method of organizing a set of types into a hierarchical namespace comprising: creating a
plurality of groups from the set of types, each group containing at least one type that exposes
logically related functionality; assigning a name to each group in the plurality; and selecting a
top level identifier and prefixing the name of each group with the top level identifier so that
the types in each group are referenced by a hierarchical name that includes the selected top level
identifier prefixed to the name of the group containing the type."
...
"43. A system comprising: a set of types, each type comprising one of a delegate, an enumeration,
an interface, a class, and a structure; and a namespace defined by the set of types to provide
access to logically related functionality of a computing system."

The only options that I can see are:

1. Trust in the judgement of the USPTO.

2. Trust that MS will not enforce the patent offensively.

3. Find some kind of prior art ... unlikely since they are asserting the specific structure of the
class libs as a new invention :(

4. Radically redesign the class libraries so they diverge from the ECMA spec.
 
Adam

> Mitchell Skinner wrote:
> > 3.  "Compatibility is not our main goal, anyway." -- This may be true
> > for Ximian, but if the goal of compatibility goes away so will a huge
> > amount of interest (and participation) in mono.
> > 
> > 4.  Actually produce some prior art.  I think this is a good precaution
> > to take.  Any other objections to this patent (objections that the PTO
> > might listen to) are also great.
> > 
> > I think this needs to be discussed.  Uncertainty about it is going to
> > keep potential users and contributors away in droves.
> 
> 
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