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Difference between revisions of "Microsoft FAT patents"

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{{navbox vertical}}[[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.
 
{{navbox vertical}}[[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.
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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 the USA==
  
The FAT patents granted to Microsoft in the USA include:
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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"
* [http://www.google.com/patents?id=bUohAAAAEBAJ&dq=5,758,352 US5,758,352] (The [[EPO]] equivalent is EP0618550)
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* [http://www.google.com/patents?id=bUohAAAAEBAJ&dq=5,758,352 US5,758,352] "The '352 patent" (The [[EPO]] equivalent is [http://www.google.com/patents/EP0618540B1?cl=en&hl=en EP0618540] )
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* U.S. Patent #5,745,902
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* U.S. Patent #6,286,013
  
 
===Timeline===
 
===Timeline===
* December 2003: MS starts threatening people<ref>http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/12/05/1070351761346.html</ref>
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* 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>
* January 2009: [[Microsoft vs. TomTom, 2008|Microsoft uses it's FAT patents against TomTom]]
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* January 2009: [[Microsoft vs. TomTom, 2008|Microsoft uses its FAT patents against TomTom]]
  
 
==In [[Europe]]==
 
==In [[Europe]]==
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The patents granted by the [[European Patent Office]] are:
 
The patents granted by the [[European Patent Office]] are:
  
* EP0618550 - upheld in Germany, see below (equivalent to US5,758,352)
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* [http://worldwide.espacenet.com/publicationDetails/biblio?DB=worldwide.espacenet.com&II=0&ND=3&adjacent=true&locale=en_EP&FT=D&date=19941005&CC=EP&NR=0618550A1&KC=A1 EP0618550] - upheld in Germany, see below (equivalent to US5,758,352) - Expired on 2014-10-05 ?
* ?
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* [http://worldwide.espacenet.com/publicationDetails/originalDocument?FT=D&date=20011212&DB=worldwide.espacenet.com&locale=en_EP&CC=EP&NR=0618540B1&KC=B1&ND=4 EP0618540] - upheld in Germany by regional court of Mannheim in 2012<ref>http://www.fosspatents.com/2012/07/with-german-fat-patent-ruling-microsoft.html</ref> Valid till  2021-12-12 ?. [http://web.archive.org/web/20161218033023/http://www.techworld.com/news/apps/german-court-invalidates-microsoft-patent-used-for-motorola-phone-sales-ban-3492693/ Later this patent was again invalidated by Federal patent court of Germany in Dec 2013]
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* ...
  
 
===Upheld in [[Germany]]===
 
===Upheld in [[Germany]]===
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==External links==
 
==External links==
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* [http://www.wired.com/wiredenterprise/2012/03/ms-patent/ How Linus Torvalds Helped Bust a Microsoft Patent], 27 Mar 2012, '''Wired'''
 
* [http://www.pubpat.org/microsoftfat.htm PubPat: Microsoft FAT Patent ] (page out of date)
 
* [http://www.pubpat.org/microsoftfat.htm PubPat: Microsoft FAT Patent ] (page out of date)
 
* Groklaw report on [http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20090501191713379 A patch to remove VFAT filename conversion from the Linux kernel],  
 
* Groklaw report on [http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20090501191713379 A patch to remove VFAT filename conversion from the Linux kernel],  
 
** [http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.linux.file-systems/31491/ the LKML thread]
 
** [http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.linux.file-systems/31491/ the LKML thread]
 
** [http://lkml.org/lkml/2009/6/26/314 A related FAQ produced by Andrew Tridgell and Linux Foundation]
 
** [http://lkml.org/lkml/2009/6/26/314 A related FAQ produced by Andrew Tridgell and Linux Foundation]
* [http://www.techflash.com/microsoft/QA_Microsofts_chief_patent_lawyer_on_TomTom_and_Linux_40354407.html Microsoft's IP chief on TomTom, Linux and patents], techflash, Feb 2009
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* [http://web.archive.org/web/20110710003125/http://www.techflash.com/seattle/2009/02/QA_Microsofts_chief_patent_lawyer_on_TomTom_and_Linux_40354407.html Microsoft's IP chief on TomTom, Linux and patents], '''techflash''', Feb 2009
  
 
==References==
 
==References==

Revision as of 23:32, 17 December 2016

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:

Timeline

In Europe

The patents granted by the European Patent Office are:

Upheld in Germany

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

Related pages on ESP Wiki

External links

References