Microsoft patent on FAT overturned by the USPTO on re-examination

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

___

Dave Farber  +1 412 726 9889



...... Forwarded Message .......
From: Suresh Ramasubramanian <suresh () hserus net>
To: dave () farber net, declan () well com
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 () pubpat org; 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 () pubpat org.



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