One tidbit that I have not seen mentioned much lately is that
Microsoft has voluntarily and unconditionaly given up the rights to C# as a
trademark/
copyright.
Bill et al donated the language to one of the world's leading standardization committies,
ECMA (the European Computer Manufacturers Association). ECMA formally released a draft for their standardized version of the language, formally known as ECMA-334, in December of 2001. This means that Microsoft will never BE ABLE to make one red cent from licensing the C# language to anyone interested in making a compiler for it. Stick that in your pipe and smoke it,
Slashbots.
More information may be found on ECMA's website at: http://www.ecma.ch/ecma1/STAND/ecma-334.htm