Package looking for a sponsor

[Ralf Corsepius]

On Thu, 2006-01-19 at 12:15 +0100, Thorsten Leemhuis wrote:
> Am Donnerstag, den 19.01.2006, 10:31 +0000 schrieb Paul F. Johnson:
> > Hi,
> > 
> > > > As the name suggests, it's a mono based package, so you must be happy
> > > > with Mono to understand how things are done.
> > > Are you sure on the legal situation?
> 
> Quoting GregDeKoenigsberg from the Fedora Foundation: "Business
> considerations that prevented certain Mono components from being
> included in Fedora previously have now been resolved."

To me, this statement is not enough - At least lack of communication.

> > > Unless, the FF, RH or FESCO can explains what has changed about the
> > > legal position on Mono with regard to Fedora, I would rather avoid the
> > > legal risks of packaging any mono package into Fedora.
> > 
> > Given that avahi-sharp is in rawhide as is beagle and a few others
> > "mono" based packages, inclusion of mysql-connector-net should not be a
> > problem, but then, IANAL.

> Ralf, please take the above into account. If you still think mono in
> extras should be forbidden please write a proposal and lay down all the
> details for your opinion it it. 

I don't think it should be forbidden (I actually have no opinion on mono
nor C#) - All I am asking is:

* What on the legal situation has changed in such a way that we are now
seeing mono in Core, despite RH has told us for a very long time that it
would not be possible for legal reason? 

The only explanation, I have: Either something must have changed or
somebody must have been lying to the community on the legal issues.

For the moment, I am presuming the former but am wondering about RH's
style of communication.


* Is it safe to ship Mono based packages as part of FE, or are FE users,
FE contributors, or FESCO at risk of being sued?

RH's argumentation so far had been: "No RH can't ship Mono, because RH
is at risk of being sued for patent infringement". The SCO case and
mp3/css ("The Graf", might ring a bell for you) have taught us, it is
not necessarily, the enterprize who is at risk to be sued, it is the
user.


> Send it to the list and to me until next
> Monday and I'll forward it to FESCo. We can vote about it in next
> Meeting (Thursday next week).

Please do so - But if I were you, I'd consult a lawyer, because as FESCO
leader, who will have to act as a speaker on this matter, it's not
unlikely it will be you who will be sued - In case there is something to
be sued for ;)


For me personally, the crucial points are:

Without one of the responsible decision takers having elaborated the
legal background of Mono, I don't feel in a position to "accept" mono
packages and will find anybody doing so acting negligent.

Ralf