"First, the Linux file system-related patents are, in a
word, 'weak.' They may have survived PUBPAT's (Public Patent
Foundation) attempt to knock the FAT (File Allocation Table)
patents out a few years ago, but Microsoft just squeaked by. No one
actually thought that Microsoft would actually try to sue anyone
using those patents. It would have been just asking to be smashed
as one patent-savvy attorney put it to me.
"And, that was before the Bilski decision, which smashed the
legal foundations of most business and software patents. So that's
another reason for Microsoft to avoid suing with a weak set of
software patents."