Steve Langasek wrote: > On Thu, Dec 04, 2003 at 09:12:28PM +0000, Jean Darcoux wrote: > > I just see this web page : http://www.microsoft.com/mscorp/ip/tech/fat.asp > > > I wonder if this mean that all software that implement FAT filesystem are > > non-free (and not acceptable into Debian) ? > > No. Why would it? The FAT filesystem driver in the Linux kernel wasn't > written by anyone who was bound by Microsoft's licensing terms.
On the web page Jean mentioned Microsoft asserts it has four patents that are necessarily infringed by FAT filesystems. At a glance they seem related to long/short filename conversion like VFAT does. I have no idea whether Linux' FAT support infringes on these patents, but this definitely should be investigated. Arnoud -- Arnoud Engelfriet, Dutch patent attorney - Speaking only for myself Patents, copyright and IPR explained for techies: http://www.iusmentis.com/
