[IP] Microsoft patent on FAT overturned by the USPTO on re-examination
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Dave Farber +1 412 726 9889
...... Forwarded Message .......
From: Suresh Ramasubramanian <suresh@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: dave@xxxxxxxxxx, declan@xxxxxxxx
Date: Thu, 30 Sep 2004 20:06:00 +0530
Subj: Microsoft patent on FAT overturned by the USPTO on re-examination
http://www.pubpat.org/Microsoft_517_Rejected.htm
PUBPAT NEWS > at PUBPAT's Request, Patent Office Rejects Microsoft's FAT
Patent
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 30, 2004
at PUBPAT's Request, Patent Office Rejects Microsoft's FAT Patent: All
Claims of Reynolds '517 Patent Ruled Invalid
NEW YORK -- In the reexamination proceeding initiated earlier this year
by the Public Patent Foundation ("PUBPAT"), the United States Patent and
Trademark Office has rejected all of the claims of Microsoft's patent on
the FAT file system, which Microsoft describes as "the ubiquitous format
used for interchange of media between computers, and, since the advent
of inexpensive, removable flash memory, also between digital devices."
Relying predominantly on evidence provided by PUBPAT when the
reexamination was requested, the Patent Office made multiple rejections
of the Redmond, WA based software giant's patent. Microsoft has the
opportunity to respond to the Patent Office's rejection, but third party
requests for reexamination, like the one filed by PUBPAT, are successful
in having the subject patent either narrowed or completely revoked
roughly 70% of the time.
"The Patent Office has simply confirmed what we already knew for some
time now, Microsoft's FAT patent is bogus," said Dan Ravicher, PUBPAT's
Executive Director. "I hope those companies that chose to take a
license from Microsoft for the patent negotiated refund clauses so that
they can get their money back."
More information about the reexamination of Microsoft's FAT patent,
including a copy of the Patent Office's Office Action rejecting all of
its claims, can be found at PUBPAT Activities > Protecting the Public
Domain.
Contact:
Daniel Ravicher, Executive Director, Public Patent Foundation:
212-545-5337; info@xxxxxxxxxx; www.pubpat.org.
About PUBPAT:
The Public Patent Foundation ("PUBPAT") is a not-for-profit legal
services organization working to protect the public from the harms
caused by the patent system. PUBPAT provides the general public,
particularly those persons or businesses otherwise deprived of access to
the system governing patents, with representation, advocacy, and
education. To be kept informed of PUBPAT News, subscribe to the PUBPAT
News List by sending an email with "subscribe" in the subject line to
news-request@xxxxxxxxxxx
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