I just saw this article over on The Register, its about some IP issues that the Mono project (and by extension Novell) could have if they try to replicate Indigo. I’ve got to say that it really makes me laugh - for some reason it is assumed that just because Microsoft pushed the CLR (or a subset of it) through the various standards bodies that it means they are automatically going to open up other pieces of their IP.
If you are a software company your IP represents your crown jewels. Microsoft has put a significant amount of effort into Indigo and other parts of WinFX and to take all that design work and just hand it over seems crazy to me, especially when those same industry people are the same ones that put the boot in when they talk about the WinFX / Longhorn packaging and shipping changes.
If Miguel wants to play Indigo Architect then he should just take the job that Microsoft has been offering him for the last two to three years!