Office 2007 Enterprise Microsoft removes a hurdle

As noted recently by OSNews, quite a few Linux vendors have already been on the fence regarding what to to with Mono, Novell;s open-source implementation of the C# compiler and a Common Language Runtime (CLR). Rightly or wrongly,Office 2007 Enterprise, some open source backers have been nervous about the possible legal ramifications of deploying a technology with roots inside the closed-source, Microsoft world.But on July six, Microsoft eliminated a seeming licensing hurdle for Mono by putting the licensing with the CLI (Prevalent Language Infrastructure) along with the C# programming language below its “Community Promise.” Via that promise, Microsoft agrees not to “assert its Necessary Claims against anyone who makes, uses, sells, offers for sale, imports, or distributes any Covered Implementation below any type of development or distribution model, including open-source licensing models such because the LGPL or GPL.”(In short, Microsoft is less likely to sue a company for patent infringement over technology that is implemented underneath the Promise.)It will be interesting to see how and if Microsoft;s guarantee will affect the perception of Mono within the open-source community.