Re: [RFC/PATCH 0/2] u_char.c and mtp.c patches

[Greg KH <greg@kroah.com>]

On Tue, Apr 20, 2010 at 09:22:41AM +0300, Felipe Balbi wrote:
> On Tue, Apr 20, 2010 at 12:44:51AM +0200, ext Greg KH wrote:
> >If you know the patent numbers, please send them to me.  There are very
> >simple methods of routing around patents.  Also, the USB-IF is very
> >interested in patents that cover USB related things, as they could
> >possibly violate the USB-IF agreement that companies are forced to sign
> >to join it.
> 
> you might have better contacts than I do. Last time I contacted them
> regarding MS problems - at that time, I was complaining that Windows
> doesn't fetch all config descriptors - they replied that "other
> devices have passed USB Certification, so why can't you?"
> 
> It's too bad when the Specification authority doesn't want to hear
> about mis-implementations of their own specification. Anyways...
> 
> Take a look here:
> 
> http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/connect/usb/os_desc.mspx
> 
> it doesn't say the patent number but it does say that "Microsoft
> agrees to grant a nonexclusive, royalty-free, world-wide license
> under these copyrights, patents or applications solely to implement
> the Microsoft OS Descriptor Specification to interface with (i) a
> Microsoft OS Descriptor enabled operating system or (ii) other
> systems authorized by Microsoft to retrieve and use this
> information, on condition that you agree not to assert any
> intellectual property rights against Microsoft or other companies
> for their implementation of the Specification."
> 
> We just need to check whether Linux falls into the "other systems
> authorized by Microsoft" category. I would guess not :-p

It might, now that Microsoft has code in the Linux kernel :)

I'll ask around and see what I can find out.

thanks,

greg k-h