[DMCA-Activists] MS FAT Patent Overruled by USPTO

[Seth Johnson]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [IP] Microsoft patent on FAT overturned by theUSPTO on
re-examination
Date: Thu, 30 Sep 2004 10:45 -0400
From: Dave Farber <address@hidden>
To: address@hidden

___

Dave Farber  +1 412 726 9889


...... Forwarded Message .......
From: Suresh Ramasubramanian <address@hidden>
To: address@hidden, address@hidden
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; address@hidden; 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
address@hidden

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