Microsoft sets up Linux patent battle

By Sam Varghese
Thursday, 26 February 2009 05:10

Opinion and Analysis

Microsoft has finally put its money where its mouth is and sued a company for alleged violation of patents connected with an implementation of the Linux kernel.
TomTom, a maker of portable GPS car navigation systems, is the target, with the Redmond behemoth claiming alleged violation of eight patents in all, three of which are related to TomTom's Linux kernel.

The other five patents relate to proprietary technologies.

The patent titles in question are:

1. Vehicle computer system with open platform architecture;

2. Method and system for generating driving directions;

3. Methods and arrangements for interacting with controllable objects within a graphical user interface environment using various input mechanisms;

4. Portable computing device-integrated appliance;

5. Vehicle computer system with wireless internet connectivity;

6. and 7. Common name space for long and short filenames (two separate patents); and

8. Method and system for file system management using a flash-erasable, programmable, read-only memory.

The last three appear to be those that have been allegedly infringed by TomTom in its implementation of the Linux kernel. Patents 6 and 7 are concerned with allowing longer filenames under Windows, overcoming the eight plus three limitation of DOS.

According to Todd Bishop's Microsoft blog, the software giant decided on a lawsuit after trying to cut a licensing deal with TomTom for the last year.

Complaints have been made in both the US District Court in Seattle and the US International Trade Commission .

Bishop has helfpully linked to both complaints.

TomTom is a Dutch company with a much bigger presence in Europe than in North America. It has a presence in Asia, Africa and Australia as well and sells its products in 30 countries and in 20 languages. It is a market leader in portable navigation devices.

However, people should not get overly excited and have visions of a trial like the SCO case; it is likely that TomTom was calling Microsoft's bluff all this time and may now settle.