Body attacks Microsoft's FAT licensing plans

The Public Patent Foundation (Pubpat) has applied to the US patients office to overturn Vole's patent which was granted in November 26, 1996.

Pubpat said the patent, which was not due to expire until 2013, was obvious and should have never been granted. It suggests that Vole was just using its control over the interchange of digital media to aid its ongoing effort to deter competition.

It says that the patient was causing immeasurable injury to the public by serving as a tool to enlarge Microsoft's monopoly while also preventing competition.

The group told the Patent Office that Microsoft had not offered licences for use in free and open source software and this had led to speculation that the company intended to use its patents to fight Open Source software.

Last year, Vole said it would be charging people to use the FAT file system and offered to sell licences.

What are the chances of Pubpat winning? Statistics show that 46 per cent of patents brought to trial in the US are dismissed as bogus, so it isn't over until the FAT lady sings. µ

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