[Mono-list] Mono and Patents....

[Andy Lewis]

Actually Migel, I believe I started this round with this question, and 
while I am not a lwyer, I do have a fundamental understanding of the 
difference beween patents and copyrights. In addition, I have read, and 
re-read the FAQ, and everything else I could find on this particular 
topic before posting to this list. I certainly understnad that this is a 
topic that has been beaten to death time and again, but I am asking it 
because I do not yet have a clear answer, and the FAQ does not provide 
it either. If I am asking in the wrong place, I apologize, and please 
tell me where I shoudl ask. I use both Linux and Windows personally and 
profesionally, and while, yes, I do personally prefer Linux. My concerns 
over this topic I feel are legitmate. I ask the same questions about 
every technology I use- I read every license agreement, and every legal 
document I sign. I am sorry if you feel that concern over a recurrance 
of historical pattern of behavior in the case of Microsoft is bigotry. 
My question is as follows:

My understanding is that any implementation of the ECMA specifications 
for the CLI, etc, is known to be covered by patents held by Microsoft. 
Such a submision is allowable under th eEMCA rules provided that the 
patents are licensable under "Reasonable and Non-discriminatory" (RAND). 
My conceen is that RAND does not imply compatibility iwth the GPL or any 
other open source license, and I am trying to find out ifth eMono 
project is specifically licensed for the patents covering the ECMA 
specification, of simply relying on public statments regarding them.

Thanks...

Miguel de Icaza wrote:

>Hello,
>
>  
>
>>does that mean thay you/mono-devel-team doesn't know the answer to my
>>(original) question?
>>    
>>
>
>We have gone through this too many times, to the point that we have
>added this to the FAQ.
>
>It means you are just very late asking that question, and most people
>are bored to death with the subject who has been answered in the FAQ.
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