Baslinux mailing list

[James Miller <jamtat AT mailsnare.net>]

On Mon, 5 Apr 2004, Ian Scott wrote:

> > PS On using the FAT16/32 filesystem: one thing
> that's recently been in the
> > news is how M$ is starting to file patents for
> things like xml and the FAT
> > filesystem.  It looks like they're going to try to
> try generating revenue
> > by an intellectual property royalties maneuver -
> like what SCO is trying
> > to do with Linux.  In other words, one of the
<snip>
>
> Point 1: fat and vfat are not standards, as I
> understand it - they are just what DOS/windows use.

The following is from a Google search I did using the phrase "fat file
system" - first result:

FAT File System Technology and Patent License
Microsoft is offering to license its FAT file system specification
and associated intellectual property. With this license, other ...
www.microsoft.com/mscorp/ip/tech/fat.asp

> Point 2: If you have a legal licensed copy of DOS, you
> have a right to use the filesystem - either directly
> in DOS or indirectly by mounting on linux.  I don't
> know what the situation is with FreeDOS, DR-DOS, etc
> but I presume that they also have legal rights to use
> the filesystem (or MS would have sued them by now!)
>
> POint 3: Isn't the whole point of BL that it is easy
> to run for someone who is used to DOS.   If you have a
> PC without DOS on it already, you are probably much
> better going with another distro that will install directly.

I'm not sure how the legal aspects of what they're doing with the FAT
filesystem specification would play out in reality.  Maybe what you say in
point 2 is correct.  Seems like what they're after is mostly larger
companies that sell products preformatted FAT (e.g., flash memory
manufacturers).  But I think they're also trying to sustain this mentality
that we're all beholden in some way shape or form to Redmond.  And I have
no question whether, if they could increase their profits sufficiently by
going after non-compliant end users, they'd do it.  It's what SCO, who's
doing M$'s bidding, has threatened to do in its wranglings with the Linux
community.  I was envisioning a Freedos/BL combination as a way to get the
Redmond monkey off our backs, but this FAT thing has cast a dark cloud on
that horizon.  I think the Freedos project would be in violation of the
legal restrictions on the FAT file system M$ is envisioning: they do offer
a utility (Freedos fdisk) for formatting the FAT filesystem, after all.
All I/we can do at this point is speculate, but I don't like the way
things are shaping up.  It really does look to me like just another way M$
is maneuvering to undercut, or at least stunt, open source initiatives.

James