Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S1751485AbWAKPcP (ORCPT ); Wed, 11 Jan 2006 10:32:15 -0500 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S1751486AbWAKPcP (ORCPT ); Wed, 11 Jan 2006 10:32:15 -0500 Received: from odyssey.analogic.com ([204.178.40.5]:5895 "EHLO odyssey.analogic.com") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S1751485AbWAKPcP convert rfc822-to-8bit (ORCPT ); Wed, 11 Jan 2006 10:32:15 -0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft Exchange V6.5.7226.0 In-Reply-To: <43C51D65.3030309@nortel.com> X-OriginalArrivalTime: 11 Jan 2006 15:32:13.0802 (UTC) FILETIME=[322F9CA0:01C616C4] Content-class: urn:content-classes:message Subject: Re: FAT and Microsoft patent? Date: Wed, 11 Jan 2006 10:31:46 -0500 Message-ID: X-MS-Has-Attach: X-MS-TNEF-Correlator: Thread-Topic: FAT and Microsoft patent? Thread-Index: AcYWxDJTGD6yA8iwSWGf7sf1O9XZiQ== References: <43C51D65.3030309@nortel.com> From: "linux-os \(Dick Johnson\)" To: "Christopher Friesen" Cc: Reply-To: "linux-os \(Dick Johnson\)" Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Content-Length: 1626 Lines: 34 On Wed, 11 Jan 2006, Christopher Friesen wrote: > According to various sources, the USPTO has ruled that Microsoft's > patent on FAT is valid. > > Does this impact Linux? Will we have to remove the filesystem? > > Chris You mean the expired patent circa 1980 for their first use of this technology? This is 2006, 26 years later. Patents don't run forever, you know. That's the reason why it has become the 'universal' file- system, not because it's a good file-system, but because it's now in the public domain due to expiration. And, can you cite the 'various sources'. They seem to be like spooks under the bridge, completely without merit. Cheers, Dick Johnson Penguin : Linux version 2.6.13.4 on an i686 machine (5589.71 BogoMips). Warning : 98.36% of all statistics are fiction. . **************************************************************** The information transmitted in this message is confidential and may be privileged. Any review, retransmission, dissemination, or other use of this information by persons or entities other than the intended recipient is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify Analogic Corporation immediately - by replying to this message or by sending an email to DeliveryErrors@analogic.com - and destroy all copies of this information, including any attachments, without reading or disclosing them. Thank you. - To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/