[NTLUG:Discuss] Abandoning FAT for ? ext2 ?

[fredjame]

Richard Geoffrion wrote:

>-----
>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
>------
>
>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
>  
>
First, at 25 cents per unit manufactured it would take a million units 
to equal $250,000.00 in license fees.
Second, it appears that this is an offer to hardware manufactures - or 
did I miss something?


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