Microsoft's Linux-related patents rejected

Cnet ^ | 5 October 2005 | Ina Fried

[ShadowAce]

Partial Tech Ping! If you know of anyone interested, please ping them as well.

[Publius6961]

BUMP!

[Petronski]

Though developed for Windows....

Huh?

I thought FAT was developed for DOS and carried forward to Windows.

[brownsfan]

FAT was a cooperative development.

Microsoft trying to patent this is like someone taking out a copyright on "Happy Birthday". Just plain evil.

[Salo]

Tech ping.

[sittnick]

Ummm... "Happy Birthday to You" IS copyrighted.

Snopes Reference.

[gondramB]

I think they are talking about long file name fat

[brownsfan]

"Ummm... "Happy Birthday to You" IS copyrighted. "

I know, and I find it offensive since the holder of the copyright did not write the "song". It's taking credit for other's work, and profiting by using the system.

If Microsoft were to get a patent on FAT, I'd see the two as similar, (although Microsoft at least had something to do with FAT).

[avg_freeper]

" It announced at the time that flash memory seller Lexar Media was taking a license for its FAT format technology. "

Suckers

[sittnick]

Agreed... I also have a problem with copyrights that last more than fifty years past the death of the holder (or fifty years flat, in the case of a corporation). Why should copyrights get longer protections than patents?

[N3WBI3]

It is also used by the open-source Samba software that lets Linux and Unix computers exchange data with Windows computers.

Correct me if I am wrong but Samba has *nothing* to do with fat 32. It uses SMB/CIFS and can communicate with shares of that protocol on NTFS/FAT/EXT3/JFS/XFS/......

I could be wrong, I know samba at the app level not down to the guts..

[N3WBI3]

The article is ripped with technical inadequacy, but then again so is the US patent system...

[Technogeeb]

FAT was a cooperative development.

Microsoft would have you think so, but FAT was really invented by Tim Paterson (who had no connection to Microsoft at the time, but later went to work for the company) for his QDOS operating system.

Microsoft's only legitimate claim to FAT is that they purchased a license for QDOS. They do, however, have some legitimate claim to the later expansion of FAT to support long file names (VFAT), although such a claim isn't of the novel nature sufficent to justify patent protection.

[brownsfan]

"Microsoft would have you think so, but FAT was really invented by Tim Paterson (who had no connection to Microsoft at the time, but later went to work for the company) for his QDOS operating system."

Ok, it's good to get the history straight. I think I knew that at one time. (Bathtub theory of memory, mine's full).

It just strentghens my point that what Microsoft is trying to do is evil! :)

[N3WBI3]

Microsoft announced plans to license the FAT format in December 2003, as part of a stepped-up intellectual-property licensing push. It announced at the time that flash memory seller Lexar Media was taking a license for its FAT format technology.

Uh ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Microsoft better be careful I think they are infringing on SCO's patents. I think this falls under 'Using the treat of lawsuits to extort money out of companies for questionable claims to IP based on licensing'

I wonder if Darl will be sending them a license..

[N3WBI3]

TECH PING !!

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[MikefromOhio]

Friends don't let Friends buy Windows....

[softwarecreator]

Microsoft trying to patent this is like someone taking out a copyright on "Happy Birthday". Just plain evil.

Oh come on, let's not be too dramatic.  Cutting the heads off of innocent people while videotaping it is evil.  Flying planes with people in them into a building to kill thousands is evil.   Using chemical weapons on Kurds is evil.  Trying to put a patent on technology is business.