Re:Why free software shouldn't depend on Mono or C#
by prodigal_erik on Saturday June 27, 2009 @07:03PM
(#677292)
Publication does not affect your rights under patent law. In fact the patent itself is formally considered as publication (though in comparision to most RFCs, I find the writing style nearly incomprehensible).
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Re:Why free software shouldn't depend on Mono or C#
by ubernostrum on Saturday June 27, 2009 @08:30PM
(#677365)
"Publication does not affect your rights under patent law."
True, but letting Mono flourish for as long as it has without taking legal action against it opens up a can of worms that can screw with future action against it. Patent law recognizes the idea that implicitly letting someone infringe and not doing anything about it until it's most profitable for you/most damaging to them isn't the way the game's supposed to be played.
Add to that the fact that patent suits are the global thermonuclear war of the technology industry (the only way to win is not to play), and I'll be surprised if anything serious ever happens.
Re:Why free software shouldn't depend on Mono or C#
by prodigal_erik on Sunday June 28, 2009 @02:24PM
(#677915)
That's right, the longer they know Mono exists and let it slide, the more they risk losing an infringement suit over laches. But I don't think the existence of the ECMA standard matters.