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Difference between revisions of "Microsoft FAT patents"

(In the USA: <ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20041229090400/http://www.microsoft.com/mscorp/ip/tech/fat.asp</ref>)
(* Autumn 2003: MS starts threatening people<ref>http://www.pubpat.org/Microsoft_517_Reexam_Filed.htm</ref><ref>http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/12/05/1070351761346.html</ref>)
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===Timeline===
 
===Timeline===
* December 2003: MS starts threatening people<ref>http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/12/05/1070351761346.html</ref>
+
* Autumn 2003: MS starts threatening people<ref>http://www.pubpat.org/Microsoft_517_Reexam_Filed.htm</ref><ref>http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/12/05/1070351761346.html</ref>
 
* September 2004: The '517 patent is rejected<ref>http://www.pubpat.org/assets/files/MicrosoftFAT/Reynolds_517_Rejected_040916.PDF</ref> thanks to the work of [[PubPat]]<ref>http://www.pubpat.org/Microsoft_517_Rejected.htm</ref> and others.
 
* September 2004: The '517 patent is rejected<ref>http://www.pubpat.org/assets/files/MicrosoftFAT/Reynolds_517_Rejected_040916.PDF</ref> thanks to the work of [[PubPat]]<ref>http://www.pubpat.org/Microsoft_517_Rejected.htm</ref> and others.
 
* January 2006: The '517 patent is reinstated<ref>http://news.cnet.com/Microsofts-file-system-patent-upheld/2100-1012_3-6025447.html</ref>
 
* January 2006: The '517 patent is reinstated<ref>http://news.cnet.com/Microsofts-file-system-patent-upheld/2100-1012_3-6025447.html</ref>

Revision as of 06:50, 2 April 2012

Microsoft has a number of patents on how to deal with filename in their commonly used FAT filesystem. These patents have been issued in the USA, Germany, and surely a long list of other countries.

The FAT patents have the interesting property of being useful only for compatibility with the patent owner. The FAT patents are not otherwise useful; in fact the FAT filesystem is technically undesirable. Those who wish to make use of the patent are clearly seeking compatibility, not innovation or other useful properties.

In the USA

In December 2003, Microsoft announced[1] licensing requirements of four patents for the FAT filesystem:

  • US5,579,517 "The '517 patent"
  • US5,758,352 "The '352 patent" (The EPO equivalent is EP0618550)
  • U.S. Patent #5,745,902
  • U.S. Patent #6,286,013

Timeline

In Europe

The patents granted by the European Patent Office are:

  • EP0618550 - upheld in Germany, see below (equivalent to US5,758,352)
  •  ?

Upheld in Germany

(See: X ZR 27/07 (2010, April, Germany))

Related pages on ESP Wiki

External links

References