M$ to license FAT

Taavi Burns taavi-LbuTpDkqzNzXI80/IeQp7B2eb7JE58TQ at public.gmane.org
Mon Dec 8 18:14:23 UTC 2003


On Mon, Dec 08, 2003 at 01:02:17PM -0500, Robert Brockway wrote:
> Maybe the manufacturers of these devices will change to another filesytem
> (they can take their pick from many choices available in Linux & BSD) in
> order to avoid paying the licencing fees.  I was initially thinking about

But if they can avoid paying a license fee by promising to not use
functionality that they're already not using...

> All the manufacturers need to do is supply the filesystem driver when they
> install the s/w on the MS-Windows.  Adding drivers all over the place is
> part of the MS-Windows culture.

But they'd need to write and maintain that driver...and for what?
If they NEED long filenames, then ok.  Otherwise I really don't see
the point.

> Patents expire when Mickey Mouse is no longer profitable, or is that
> copyrights, I can't remember.

That would be copyright, but the precedent is set for a sufficiently
profitable <noun> to have its public domain-ness delayed.

-- 
taa
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