* patented FTL format
@ 2009-09-30 15:32 Matthias Fuchs
2009-09-30 17:28 ` David Brown
0 siblings, 1 reply; 6+ messages in thread
From: Matthias Fuchs @ 2009-09-30 15:32 UTC (permalink / raw)
To: linux-mtd
Hi,
I found this notice in drivers/mtd/ftl.c:
LEGAL NOTE: The FTL format is patented by M-Systems. They have
granted a license for its use with PCMCIA devices:
"M-Systems grants a royalty-free, non-exclusive license under
any presently existing M-Systems intellectual property rights
necessary for the design and development of FTL-compatible
drivers, file systems and utilities using the data formats with
PCMCIA PC Cards as described in the PCMCIA Flash Translation
Layer (FTL) Specification."
Use of the FTL format for non-PCMCIA applications may be an
infringement of these patents. For additional information,
contact M-Systems (http://www.m-sys.com) directly.
Can anybody tell me what exactly is patended here? The general implementation
of a translation layer to use non-NAND filesystems on top of NAND?
Or a specific format (as stated) - meaning a data layout - on how or where
to store information on a NAND flash?
Or with other words, does a translation layer (we would also call it differently)
that allows using things like ext3 on a bare NAND chip conflict with any patents?
This is not a technical question about how this could be implemented.
Matthias
^ permalink raw reply [flat|nested] 6+ messages in thread
* Re: patented FTL format
2009-09-30 15:32 patented FTL format Matthias Fuchs
@ 2009-09-30 17:28 ` David Brown
2009-10-01 9:23 ` Matthias Fuchs
0 siblings, 1 reply; 6+ messages in thread
From: David Brown @ 2009-09-30 17:28 UTC (permalink / raw)
To: Matthias Fuchs; +Cc: linux-mtd
On Wed, Sep 30, 2009 at 05:32:34PM +0200, Matthias Fuchs wrote:
>Or with other words, does a translation layer (we would also call it
>differently) that allows using things like ext3 on a bare NAND chip
>conflict with any patents?
I'm going to guess that most of the people who know the answer to this
question won't be able to talk about it. Opinions from
non-legal-experts probably isn't all that useful anyway.
David
^ permalink raw reply [flat|nested] 6+ messages in thread
* Re: patented FTL format
2009-09-30 17:28 ` David Brown
@ 2009-10-01 9:23 ` Matthias Fuchs
2009-10-01 10:30 ` Wolfram Sang
0 siblings, 1 reply; 6+ messages in thread
From: Matthias Fuchs @ 2009-10-01 9:23 UTC (permalink / raw)
To: David Brown; +Cc: linux-mtd
On Wednesday 30 September 2009 19:28, David Brown wrote:
> On Wed, Sep 30, 2009 at 05:32:34PM +0200, Matthias Fuchs wrote:
>
> >Or with other words, does a translation layer (we would also call it
> >differently) that allows using things like ext3 on a bare NAND chip
> >conflict with any patents?
>
> I'm going to guess that most of the people who know the answer to this
> question won't be able to talk about it. Opinions from
> non-legal-experts probably isn't all that useful anyway.
>
I hope to get an idea about a starting point where to find the answer.
I did no ask anybody to sign his answer.
I expected get heard by the maintainer of the FTL code. Somebody
must have added the notice to the source code. Perhaps that person
knows why :-)
Matthias
^ permalink raw reply [flat|nested] 6+ messages in thread
* Re: patented FTL format
2009-10-01 9:23 ` Matthias Fuchs
@ 2009-10-01 10:30 ` Wolfram Sang
2009-10-06 13:41 ` Matthias Fuchs
0 siblings, 1 reply; 6+ messages in thread
From: Wolfram Sang @ 2009-10-01 10:30 UTC (permalink / raw)
To: Matthias Fuchs; +Cc: David Brown, linux-mtd
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> I expected get heard by the maintainer of the FTL code. Somebody
> must have added the notice to the source code. Perhaps that person
> knows why :-)
'git blame <file>' tells you the author/commit that changed a specific line.
Then, 'git show <commit>' shows you also the description. That usually helps to
find the mail-thread accompanying the patch. Dunno if it works in this case,
but it often does.
--
Pengutronix e.K. | Wolfram Sang |
Industrial Linux Solutions | http://www.pengutronix.de/ |
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^ permalink raw reply [flat|nested] 6+ messages in thread
* Re: patented FTL format
2009-10-01 10:30 ` Wolfram Sang
@ 2009-10-06 13:41 ` Matthias Fuchs
2009-10-06 13:46 ` Wolfram Sang
0 siblings, 1 reply; 6+ messages in thread
From: Matthias Fuchs @ 2009-10-06 13:41 UTC (permalink / raw)
To: Wolfram Sang; +Cc: David Brown, linux-mtd
On Thursday 01 October 2009 12:30, Wolfram Sang wrote:
> > I expected get heard by the maintainer of the FTL code. Somebody
> > must have added the notice to the source code. Perhaps that person
> > knows why :-)
>
> 'git blame <file>' tells you the author/commit that changed a specific line.
> Then, 'git show <commit>' shows you also the description. That usually helps to
> find the mail-thread accompanying the patch. Dunno if it works in this case,
> but it often does.
Hmm, this brings me to Linus' initial git import in 2.6.12 times :-)
Matthias
^ permalink raw reply [flat|nested] 6+ messages in thread
end of thread, other threads:[~2009-10-06 13:46 UTC | newest]
Thread overview: 6+ messages (download: mbox.gz / follow: Atom feed)
-- links below jump to the message on this page --
2009-09-30 15:32 patented FTL format Matthias Fuchs
2009-09-30 17:28 ` David Brown
2009-10-01 9:23 ` Matthias Fuchs
2009-10-01 10:30 ` Wolfram Sang
2009-10-06 13:41 ` Matthias Fuchs
2009-10-06 13:46 ` Wolfram Sang
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