4 ms·

"as it is, Mono is a patent minefield" Can you provide the patent numbers of the specific patents you had in mind, or otherwise provide a source for why you th

• rbanffy 17y ago
  No. Neither does Microsoft who has repeatedly spread FUD over all the free-software and open-source ecosystem. Can you provide any declaration Microsoft supports Mono and promises will not sue those users not under their IP cross-licensing deal with Novell? Until then, it is a minefield. And that is what a minefield is about - you never know when you step on one or even if there are any mines.
  • fatdog789 17y ago
    MS doesn't need to. 1) C# is a standardized, open spec language. Mono is an implementation of that open spec. The development of that specification is driven by MS's .Net platform. 2) Here's a crucial bit of patent/IP law: by releasing the specification of the language to the "public", MS is barred from suing over it in a court of law. So again, there's no need for it say that it won't sue, since it's already prevented from doing so.
    • rbanffy 17y ago
      Isn't Mono more than the C# implementation, covering much of the whole .NET API, which is not, IIRC, covered by ECMA-334. And even if by publishing the spec they would have given up their right to sue implementors (which they did not) they would be free to sue anyone that used any technique on which they own valid patents on any jurisdiction insane enough to allow such patents. And while I doubt their willingness to test such patents in court, I also acknowledge the potential for long and painful lawsuits is more than enough an incentive use other technologies that are every bit as nice to the developer as .NET while negating completely any litigation risk.