So a Microsoft employee spreads FUD and you take the bait. Grats for being a sucker.
It's in Microsoft's best interest to shroud Mono in FUD (just like it's in their best interest to FUD Linux and other Free Software), but they can't do jack about it because:
1. Core Mono implements ECMA 334 and 335 which are under RAND-Z terms - therefor Microsoft has given up their rights to sue over patent infringement.
2. If Mono's Windows.Forms infringes on patents, then so does DotGNU's implementation as well as WINE. WINE has existed for a decade and Microsoft hasn't sued and WINE is far more widely depended on than Mono's Windows.Forms will ever be.
Contrary to what a lot of the Mono-Haters/FUDers like to tell you, Windows.Forms is not a core component of Mono nor is it required to write GUI apps under Linux or MacOS (or even Windows). Nor is it even used to write any of the current Mono apps under Linux.
3. ASP.NET: More-or-less in the same boat as Windows.Forms. If Mono's ASP.NET infringes on patents (even those not maintained by Microsoft), then it is very likely that PHP also infringes upon said patents.
4. There exists the OIN to counter any IP attacks against many Free Software projects... INCLUDING Mono.
Let's also not forget that Microsoft has a huge plethora of patents - many of which very likely /are/ infringed by Free Software. Other than a few idle threats, Microsoft hasn't done anything about it. Why not? Because it would destroy them - either in a patent nuclear war or else it would be hit with more anti-compete law suites.
Bravo for finding a clueless document and pointing to it as fact.
You see, you failed to realize that ECMA 334 and 335 are not under RAND, they are under RAND-Z - e.g. Reasonable and Non-Discriminatory; Zero-cost.
As the article states, RAND means "we apply a uniform fee", which in this case is $0. How does that ban Free Software from implementing it? It doesn't. RAND does, but only if the cost is > $0 (and even then it doesn't "ban" Free Software implementations, it just means there is a cost).
RAND-Z is as reasonable and non-discriminatory as you can get.
Okay... so Xandros doesn't get to call Mono as a "Cone Product" in their deal with Microsoft. Whoopty-doo (ok, so it affects Xandros - but it doesn't affect the rest of us).
This document does not prove that Mono infringes any patents or that Microsoft will sue, it just means that Microsoft wasn't willing to include Mono in their deal with Xandros. Just like they didn't include OpenXchange or OpenOffice/StarOffice.
Should we all stop using those products now too?
Your logic is hilarious.
I don't blindly trust any promises from Microsoft, but in the case of Mono - it's not the promise I trust, it's the fact that Microsoft is in a position which disallows them from attacking Mono over patents (or at least the core components of Mono) and the fact that it is very unlikely they'd sue over the non-core components.
In other news... SecondLife is rolling out Mono-based servers:
http://blog.secondlife.com/2008/08/20/mono-launch/