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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Oh lord.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>The point is quite simple – <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Mono is based on the EMCA 334/335 and ISO/IEC23270:2006 standards,
those standards allow components within them to be patent, provided they are licensable
under ‘RAND’ terms (Reasonable And Non-Discriminatory). The shadow
hanging over Mono was that Microsoft could charge a “reasonable”
sum for whatever components within that may be patented/[able].<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>By putting EMCA 334/335 into the community pledge means
Microsoft has waived the right to collect those terms (in whole.), the
exceptions are components of C# which are not in the ECMA standards, these are –
ASP.NET (* - although there is a Microsoft implementation in under the MSPL I
believe, which voids the threat there[?]), ADO.NET (used for database access to
MSSQL, etc), WinForms[?] and some components of the Microsoft.* namespace.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Because of this – Mono have started separating their
packages, so you can get a ‘clean’ version, and a ‘potentially
has issues’ version (ie the version with ASP, ADO, etc). The good news
is, OpenSim will run on the ‘clean’ version – the only
exception to this will be the MSSQL adapter which relies on ADO.net –
however given that anyone using that adapter will also be very likely using
.NET, I don’t believe that is a problem.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Ubuntu already ships a separated distribution of Mono which
allows you to only optionally install the bits that aren’t covered by the
patent pledge.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Adam<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><b><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> opensim-users-bounces@lists.berlios.de
[mailto:opensim-users-bounces@lists.berlios.de] <b>On Behalf Of </b>lamont
cranston<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Sunday, 12 July 2009 11:04 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> opensim-users@lists.berlios.de<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [Opensim-users] Microsoft issues patent promise, dispels
Mono legal concerns<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>Saying that it "clears up
a bit of the FUD around Mono" seems counter intuitive. It would seem to
have validated the claim that Mono relies on Microsoft patented technology.
Microsoft seems to have just declared that it does.<br>
Fact is not FUD.<br>
You don't need amnesty if you are innocent.<br>
<br>
I'm more interested in why Microsoft felt that this is a good idea? Mono is so
far below the public relations radar that it is invisible to 99% of the public.
<br>
What is in it for Microsoft to release this announcement at this time?<br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal>On Tue, Jul 7, 2009 at 4:42 PM, Ethan Grammatikidis <<a
href="mailto:eekee57@fastmail.fm">eekee57@fastmail.fm</a>> wrote:<o:p></o:p></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>On Tue, 7 Jul 2009 13:13:40
-0700<br>
Kyle Hamilton <<a href="mailto:aerowolf@gmail.com">aerowolf@gmail.com</a>>
wrote:<br>
<br>
> On Tue, Jul 7, 2009 at 11:44 AM, Ethan Grammatikidis<<a
href="mailto:eekee57@fastmail.fm">eekee57@fastmail.fm</a>> wrote:<br>
> > On Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:00:20 +0000<br>
> > Opensource Obscure <<a href="mailto:open@autistici.org">open@autistici.org</a>>
wrote:<br>
> ><br>
> >><br>
> >> At a first glance this is good news for Opensim users and<br>
> >> developers that use Linux. I'd like to hear comments,<br>
> >> especially from free-software advocates.<br>
> >><br>
> >> Microsoft issues patent promise, dispels Mono legal concerns<br>
> >> from Ars Technica - <a href="http://bit.ly/BasCG" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/BasCG</a>
or<br>
> >> <a
href="http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2009/07/microsoft-issues-patent-promise-dispels-mono-concerns.ars"
target="_blank">http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2009/07/microsoft-issues-patent-promise-dispels-mono-concerns.ars</a><br>
> ><br>
> > Just wondering how binding this promise is. I guess MS couldn't break
it without getting themselves bad press, but there's always a possibility of a
company finding itself in a tight corner & thinking maybe it's worth
breaking this. I find myself wondering if some, perhaps many big businesses are
designed to run as if they're in a tight corner all the time.<br>
><br>
><br>
> I'm not a lawyer, but I've learned a lot from Groklaw. This is not<br>
> legal advice, simply my interpretation of what I've read :):<br>
><br>
> The legal principle involved is called "estoppel" -- if you make
a<br>
> promise not to sue someone for doing B, and then they in good faith<br>
> rely on that promise and do B, you can't go back on your word and sue<br>
> them for it anyway. If the promise was made by the rightsholder (and<br>
> the fact that they issued it as a press release in written form), if<br>
> they try, they will have the court rule against them. It's been this<br>
> way since before we had a legal system in the US, and imported<br>
> England's.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal>Really good to know, thanks. :)<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><br>
><br>
> (Technically, this is the same thing that a license is: you receive a<br>
> promise from the person who grants the license that they will not sue<br>
> you. It doesn't matter if you pay for it or not.)<br>
><br>
> This "promise" can be looked at as a "license" as far
as CLR runtimes<br>
> go: if someone tries to create a functional CLR implementation, they<br>
> have a license to any necessary patent claims that Microsoft holds<br>
> that must be infringed in order to adhere to the standard. This<br>
> license does not extend to non-CLR technologies, though.<br>
><br>
> Again, IANAL. Check with an IP lawyer if you want to.<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal>Strong enough reasoning for me. *nod*<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><br>
--<br>
Ethan Grammatikidis<br>
<br>
Those who are slower at parsing information must<br>
necessarily be faster at problem-solving.<br>
_______________________________________________<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal>Opensim-users mailing list<br>
<a href="mailto:Opensim-users@lists.berlios.de">Opensim-users@lists.berlios.de</a><br>
<a href="https://lists.berlios.de/mailman/listinfo/opensim-users"
target="_blank">https://lists.berlios.de/mailman/listinfo/opensim-users</a><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><br>
<br clear=all>
<br>
-- <br>
(\__/)<br>
(='.'=)<br>
(")_(")<o:p></o:p></p>
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