[ros-general] Microsoft wants royalties for use of FAT

[Rick Parrish]

I'd like to follow Andrew's "crazy ideas" with one of my own.

How about structuring a defensive IP policy?

I'll use a file system as my example but this applies to just about 
anything unique or novel in the React OS implementation. Suppose someone 
comes up with a new improved file system design ... makes it available 
under GPL like terms but also backs it up with a patent. Suppose that 
this new file system becomes very popular. Users, over concerns of their 
data being held captive by a proprietary media format, switch to this 
new FS. Microsoft, following a long history of embrace and extend (the 
kiss of death), decides to incorporate this FS as an "innovative 
feature" in a future
OS release. However, the patent-backed licensing terms include a 
"gotcha" clause that requires any commercial entity to share patent 
portfolios (sounds fair doesn't it?) ...

Andrew "Silver Blade" Greenwood wrote:

>Even better - why not just make the installer start up the GUI from the CD with a "welcome to ReactOS" screen, and then from there let the user select if they want to install or have a play around with ReactOS first. 
>
PS. the Menuet OS, by virtue of it fitting on a floppy allows trial by 
just booting straight up to a Menuet desktop session.

-rick