[colug-432] CYGWIN and NTFS

[Rick Troth]

On 02/01/2014 02:45 PM, Jeff Stebelton wrote:
>
> What is the Microsoft tax?
>

Microsoft acquired the FAT filesystem when it got QDOS which became
MS-DOS. Presumably they added directory/hierarchy capability themselves
(for MS-DOS 2.x and beyond). Then when long filenames became vogue, they
invented VFAT, which is a clever way of leveraging the underlying "File
Allocation Table" mechanism to hold the fancier names. They were granted
patents for VFAT which they have successfully used against
Google/Android. As I recall, they also went against TomTom. (I don't pay
as much attention to these things as I should.)

The "tax" is patent revenue demanded by the patent holder (Microsoft)
for use of their invention. Not likely they have much case against you
or me ... but I'm not a lawyer. It's annoying at least.

-- R; <><