Samsung Properly Open-Sources exFAT File-System

[phoronix]

Phoronix: Samsung Properly Open-Sources exFAT File-System

Back in June, Phoronix was the first to report of a native exFAT file-system implementation for Linux that appeared on GitHub. It later turned out that Samsung accidentally leaked their exFAT source code. The solution has now been corrected with Samsung formally open-sourcing their exFAT source code...

http://www.phoronix.com/vr.php?view=MTQzODQ

[phred14]

I presume this only resolves the code license issue - that patent license issues still remain, and that Samsung has licensed the patents - for their own use.

[AnonymousCoward]

In a very quick comparison of their 1.2.4 source to the leaked one, it seems they removed all comments in the process...

[RealNC]

In a very quick comparison of their 1.2.4 source to the leaked one, it seems they removed all comments in the process...

This is to show their support to open source folks, I guess.

[Krysto]

Does this mean whoever uses this won't have to pay Microsoft for their own FAT patents anymore?

[newwen]

In a very quick comparison of their 1.2.4 source to the leaked one, it seems they removed all comments in the process...

This would violate this, from http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html

The source code for a work means the preferred form of the work for making modifications to it.

Doesn't it? I doubt that Samsung engineers work with that stripped down version.

[Sonadow]

Does this mean whoever uses this won't have to pay Microsoft for their own FAT patents anymore?

Dream on.

Microsoft still holds the exFAT patents. Samsung licensed them for their own use only. Im not surprised if Microsoft revokes Samsung's patent license for the exFAT driver, thus making it illegal for anybody to download and use Samsung's driver source code, since Samsung clearly did not get Microsoft's approval to open their driver.

plus im damn sure that whatever the licensing terms for the exFat patents are, royalty-free dissemination is definitely not one of them.

[newwen]

Does this mean whoever uses this won't have to pay Microsoft for their own FAT patents anymore?

Only if it were released under GPLv3. In that case Samsung would have to pay Microsoft for everybody

[newwen]

Dream on.

Microsoft still holds the exFAT patents. Samsung licensed them for their own use only. Im not surprised if Microsoft revokes Samsung's patent license for the exFAT driver, thus making it illegal for anybody to download and use Samsung's driver source code.

exFAT is considered a standard-essential patent and thus must be licensed under "FRAND" ( fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory) terms, Samsung could sue Microsoft in the case it denied the license.

[Sonadow]

exFAT is considered a standard-essential patent and thus must be licensed under "FRAND" ( fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory) terms, Samsung could sue Microsoft in the case it denied the license.

And Microsoft has every right to revoke the license if Samsung does things which are not permitted under the licensing terms they negotiated with MS over, whatever they may be.

Just like the Conservancy can bar organizations from distributing GPL-ed software for non-compliance, Microsoft can do the same with organizations that do not respect its licensing terms.

FRAND does not give the licensee the right to do whatever they want with it.