ESP Wiki is looking for moderators and active contributors!

Difference between revisions of "Microsoft FAT patents"

(External links: fixed link (Thanks!))
(In the USA: demands rather than requirements)
Line 5: Line 5:
 
==In the USA==
 
==In the USA==
  
In December 2003, Microsoft announced<ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20041229090400/http://www.microsoft.com/mscorp/ip/tech/fat.asp</ref> licensing requirements of four patents for the FAT filesystem:
+
In December 2003, Microsoft announced<ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20041229090400/http://www.microsoft.com/mscorp/ip/tech/fat.asp</ref> licensing demands of four patents for the FAT filesystem:
  
 
* [http://www.google.com/patents?id=cLAkAAAAEBAJ&dq=5,579,517 US5,579,517] "The '517 patent"
 
* [http://www.google.com/patents?id=cLAkAAAAEBAJ&dq=5,579,517 US5,579,517] "The '517 patent"

Revision as of 03:59, 9 December 2013

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 demands 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