From: "Roger Heflin" <rheflin@atipa.com>
To: "'linux-os \(Dick Johnson\)'" <linux-os@analogic.com>,
       "'Christopher Friesen'" <cfriesen@nortel.com>
Cc: <linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org>
Subject: RE: FAT and Microsoft patent?
Date: Wed, 11 Jan 2006 09:52:34 -0600
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> -----Original Message-----
> From: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org 
> [mailto:linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org] On Behalf Of 
> linux-os (Dick Johnson)
> Sent: Wednesday, January 11, 2006 9:32 AM
> To: Christopher Friesen
> Cc: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org
> Subject: Re: FAT and Microsoft patent?
> 
> 
> 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.

The patent upheld is for long filenames on a FAT filesystem, not
for FAT in general.

Not a major thing to go without.

It would be nice it the original poster would have done 30 seconds
more research before posting.

                         Roger

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