M$'s long file name patents had to do with the tricky way they were able to
add LFNs to the old FAT file system in a backward compatible way.

I am sure that is the basis for the patents, although that doesn't mean I
agree that the patents make sense.

Bob Ammerman
RAm Systems


----- Original Message -----
From: "Matt Pobursky" <piclist@MPS-DESIGN.COM>
To: <PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU>
Sent: Friday, December 05, 2003 7:59 PM
Subject: Re: [OT:] MS to charge for the use of FAT file system


> I can't believe MS actually got a patent based on long file names. They
> were implemented in *nix and Apple OS's long before MS ever implemented
> them.
>
> Stuff like this is why *software* patents are a bad and (very often)
> abused idea.
>
> Matt Pobursky
> Maximum Performance Systems
>
> On Fri, 5 Dec 2003 15:16:14 -0500, Bob Ammerman wrote:
> > I don't think this will apply to blank floppies because the original
> > FAT format cannot possibly be patented anymore.
> >
> > A blank preformatted floppy will not have any long-file-name stuff on
> > it, and can in fact be identical to one produced back in the days of
> > DOS.
> >
> > This will also apply to blank FAT12 and probably FAT16 media of other
> > types.
> >
> > It is only when you start using some of the newer stuff, like long
> > file names, that you are likely to run into trouble.
> >
> > At least this is what I got out of running the down M$ patents
> > mentioned on their website.
>
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