
New Linux patch could circumvent Microsoft's FAT patents - soundsop
http://arstechnica.com/open-source/news/2009/07/vfat-linux-patch-could-circumvent-microsofts-patent-claims.ars
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mkn
On the one hand, this seems like a clever bit of lateral thinking with
tangible benefits, so it makes me happy. On the other hand, a lateral move had
to be found to ditch a...wait for it... _patent absurdity_ , so I'm a little
miffed that the need even existed.

Maybe someone should create a lateral-thinking patent evasion group. If they
did, would we primarily be smugly satisfied with ourselves for having done so,
or would we be overcome with angst over the fact that such a group might be
needed?

~~~
CodeMage
Actually, if someone created a lateral-thinking patent evasion group, as
proposed, they would probably violate a patent filed by someone who thought of
it in the first place but couldn't be buggered to implement it in practice.

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dtf
USPTO Patent #7075962 (Tridgell et al): Method for circumventing USPTO Patent
#5579517.

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alexvasi
ESR on Microsoft vs TomTom case: <http://esr.ibiblio.org/?p=819>

