美國專利局幹的好呀!!
廠商在產品既成標準後再來搞專利收費的手法慢慢行不通了.

http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=18790
US Patent Office rejects Microsoft's FAT patents

FAT cash? FAT chance!


By INQUIRER staff: Thursday 30 September 2004, 14:48

THE PATENT Microsoft attempted to file giving it control over the FAT file system has been rejected by the US Patent Office.
While Microsoft can appeal for the Patent Office to consider it again, objections could quite conceivably cause it to be ruled invalid, once more.

Microsoft had claimed rights to the FAT file system back to 1976 and wanted to start charge manufacturers of flash devices and memory stick for the privilege of using the file format.

It had wanted a quarter per device, or $250,000 per company that used the file system.

According to the Public Patent Foundation, however, the Office has confirmed that the Microsoft patent is bogus. The Patents Office rejected the proposed applications for several reasons, including the fact that some of its grounds for applying were unpatentable.

What's more interesting is that some manufacturers may have accepted Microsoft's claims and taken out licences on the patent.

Pubpat has published the PDF on its web site, here.

http://www.pubpat.org/Reynolds_517_OA_09162004.PDF