[Mono-list] Re: Ask Microsoft: Mono support

[Lluis Sanchez]

> > IMHO, if they decide to attack Mono, as detailed in the FAQ, if they
> > have patents that can stand in court, we'll remove the features or
> > work around the patents. This may break compatibility, but we have our
> > own code and we'll adapt it.
> 
> I read that in the FAQ. Why not do it now and make mono completely 
> unencumbered? You say that compatibility isn't the primary concern.
> An IP-free implementation would eliminate any legal doubt that is
> slowing down commercial adoption. More adoption means more users and
> developers and a better environment, right?
> 
> I think you underestimate the paranoia of lawyers, especially at big
> companies. Although you and I can recognize FUD for what it is,
> lawyers take more convincing.

If you think that with the current patent system it is possible to write
any patent-free software, you are really underestimating the paranoia of
lawyers.

It is just a matter of risk, and we believe that Mono has the best user-
benefits / patent-risk tradeoff.

Lluis.