Re: FAT and Microsoft patent?

["linux-os \(Dick Johnson\)" <linux-os@analogic.com>]

On Wed, 11 Jan 2006, Christopher Friesen wrote:

> linux-os (Dick Johnson) wrote:
>> 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?
>
> No, I mean the three listed on Microsoft's website:
>
> # U.S. Patent #5,579,517 "Common name space for long and short
> filenames" Nov 26, 1996
>
> # U.S. Patent #5,758,352  "Common name space for long and short
> filenames" May 26, 1998
>
> # U.S. Patent #6,286,013 "Method and system for providing a common name
> space for long and short file names in an operating system" September 4,
> 2001
>
> Chris
>

Ah yes. The "container file" patents. Filed somewhat late, too. About
20 years after first use by Xerox. I don't think you need to worry too
much.

The FILENAME.TYP standard file-name had it's start with Intel's MDS-200
and was appropriated by Gary Kildall of Digital Research for CP/M.



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.
.

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