[NTLUG:Discuss] Abandoning FAT for ? ext2 ?

[Richard Geoffrion]

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From:
http://slashdot.org/articles/03/12/04/1318212.shtml?tid=109&tid=155&tid=187&
tid=99
Microsoft to Charge for FAT File System
"According to Microsoft, the Redmond company is going to charge a license
fee for any product that is formatted in FAT by the manufacturer. Any
manufacturer of compact flash memory cards or digital cameras may end up
paying Microsoft as much as $250,000 for the use of the file format. The FAT
File System is covered by several US patents." (see
http://www.microsoft.com/mscorp/ip/tech/fat.asp )

See also: http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/34348.html
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So..can the FAT file system be easily removed from Linux?  Doesn't Caldera
own DRDOS? Isn't that FAT?  What about FREEDOS? Isn't that FAT?  How can FAT
not be in the public domain?

So, push come to shove...do we remove FAT from Linux?   Is there an ext2
port to win32?

This is just plain maddning!!  There should be a law that says something
like "if you don't stick up for your IP rights..then you've given them up!"
You know..kinda like logos.  If you don't protect your logo, then it no
longer counts as your logo...that kind of thing.

--
Richard