Re: [DotGNU] the .NET API patent issue

[Norbert Bollow]

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> I don't know what is patented by Microsoft in his .NET.

Indeed it's hard to know what parts of the huge USPTO database might
be relevant - it's not even possible to narrow it down to just patents
which have been filed by MS, as MS might own rights on patents or
patent applications which have been filed by others.  Many patent
holders would sell out to MS if offered enough cash.

MS has publicly spoken about "many patents".  We know only of a single
patent application.

> If the concept of Assemblies or the CLR or the MSIL file format has
> been patented, there's nothing to do inside the US.

There is no problem with these things because they're specified
in the ECMA standards, and MS has promised royalty-free licensing
for any and all patents that may be necessary to implement what is
in those standards.

> This brings up another question:  What Classes/Assemblies are included in
> the ECMA standards?

The standards are freely available:

http://ecma-international.org/publications/standards/ecma-334.htm
http://ecma-international.org/publications/standards/ecma-335.htm

It would be helpful if someone could write a useful summary of what
is in there, and what are the important things which are missing.

Greetings, Norbert.

- -- 
Founder & Steering Committee member of http://gnu.org/projects/dotgnu/
Free Software Business Strategy Guide   --->  http://FreeStrategy.info
Norbert Bollow, Weidlistr.18, CH-8624 Gruet (near Zurich, Switzerland)
Tel +41 1 972 20 59        Fax +41 1 972 20 69       http://norbert.ch
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