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ExFAT and NTFS are in the Linux kernel already. I don't think they'd need to license them at this point.


In the kernel doesn't mean you have a license to use it.


Technically yes, but companies can join the OIN for free and ship it for free.

Lots of companies are in that list (https://openinventionnetwork.com/community-alphabetical/) including Google, Sony, Amazon, and hundreds of other companies.


I think the GPL license kind of implies that you do have a license to use it.


How does a copyright license imply a license of a third party's patent?

Open source mpeg codecs don't come with a patent license from mpeg and friends. Neither does a open source file system driver come with a patent license from microsoft and friends.


That's GPLv3, GPLv2 (which the exFAT code was licensed under) doesn't include patent rights.




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