This is an fyi fwiw... condensed version..

Pubpat requested reexam of MS FAT patent 4-19-04

09-16-2004 Reexam - Non-Final Action

11-12-2004 Applicant Arguments/Remarks Made in an Amendment

06-22-2005 Reexam - Non-Final Action

08-16-2005 Examiner Interview Summary Record

08-22-2005 Amendment - After Non-Final Rejection

09-29-2005 Reexam - Final Rejection

11-09-2005 Examiner Interview Summary Record

11-14-2005 Applicant Arguments/Remarks Made in an Amendment

11-14-2005 Reexam Response to Final Rejection

01-03-2006 Notice of Intent to Issue a Reexam Certificate

Intent to Issue Reexam Cert: the patent is validated

Note "Final Rejection" above... The patent still was found valid... moral.. when/if we see Final Rejection in our reexam/s.. don't jump off your ledge!!

Another example: Affinity patent reexam

03-26-2004 Receipt of Original Ex Parte Reexam Request

06-28-2005 Reexam - Non-Final Action

07-20-2005 Examiner Interview Summary Record

08-26-2005 Amendment - After Non-Final Rejection

02-06-2006 Applicant summary of interview with examiner

03-13-2006 Applicant summary of interview with examiner

03-27-2006 Notice of Intent to Issue a Reexam Certificate

07-25-2006 Reexamination Certificate Issued

Also.. Re Pubpat's attempt to invalidate MS's FAT patent.. This is from Pubpat's website:

Microsoft FAT Patent

In April 2004, the Public Patent Foundation filed a formal request with the United States Patent and Trademark Office to revoke Microsoft Corporation's patent on the FAT File System, touted by Microsoft as being "the ubiquitous format used for interchange of media between computers, and, since the advent of inexpensive, removable flash memory, also between digital devices." In its filing, PUBPAT submitted previously unseen prior art showing the patent, which issued in November 1996 and is not otherwise due to expire until 2013, was obvious and, as such, should have never been granted. The PTO granted PUBPAT's request in June 2004 and rejected the patent in September 2004.

Related Documents

• PUBPAT's Request for Reexamination of Microsoft's FAT Patent (PDF; 547KB)
• Patent Office's Order Granting PUBPAT's Request for Reexamination of Microsoft FAT Patent (PDF; 1.2MB)
• Patent Office's Office Action Rejecting Microsoft FAT Patent (PDF; 592KB)

Of course they don't tell us, or anyone, that the patent was eventually found to be valid.. Potential contributors wouldn't want to know that would they?