Bug#501190: ITP: moonlight -- open source implementation of Microsoft Silverlight

[Robert Millan <rmh@aybabtu.com>]

According to the authors of Moonlight [1], this software is covered by patents
owned by Microsoft, which has rules specificaly forbidding re-distribution
to parties that are "Downstream recipients" [2].

This seems to indicate it would be illegal for Debian developers in the US
to:

  - Use Moonlight in their browsers (thereby becoming "downstream recipients").

  - Upload new versions of the package.

at the same time (though apparently they can do either of these activities
as long as they don't do both at the same time).

Please have this discussed/clarified in debian-legal as well.

[1] In http://groups.google.com/group/tiraniaorg-blog-comments/browse_thread/thread/2a07b8b50038d8c8/d582162af2d63d57
    de Icaza states that you need to "get/download Moonlight from Novell
    which will include patent coverage"
[2] http://www.microsoft.com/interop/msnovellcollab/moonlight.mspx

-- 
Robert Millan

  The DRM opt-in fallacy: "Your data belongs to us. We will decide when (and
  how) you may access your data; but nobody's threatening your freedom: we
  still allow you to remove your data and not access it at all."