Question about FTL: Is it legal?
Hi,
I wanted to use the MTD package for an embedded system design and I could not install it. I decided to get the PCMCIA package since what I'm interested into if the FTL (and the FTL in the current release of the MTD is not up to date?). I stumbled on something disturbing in the header of ftl_cs.c:
/*======================================================================
A Flash Translation Layer memory card driver
This driver implements a disk-like block device driver with an apparent block size of 512 bytes for flash memory cards.
ftl_cs.c 1.62 2000/02/01 00:59:04
[ part or if removed]
LEGAL NOTE: The FTL format is patented by M-Systems. They have granted a license for its use with PCMCIA devices:
"M-Systems grants a royalty-free, non-exclusive license under
any presently existing M-Systems intellectual property rights necessary for the design and development of FTL-compatible drivers, file systems and utilities using the data formats with PCMCIA PC Cards as described in the PCMCIA Flash Translation Layer (FTL) Specification."
Use of the FTL format for non-PCMCIA applications may be an infringement of these patents. For additional information, contact M-Systems (http://www.m-sys.com) directly.
======================================================================*/
As anybody looked at the legal issue here? I mean, if we use a flash chip and implement FTL in there, then we have to buy a licence from M-System (ie pay royalties) because it is not a PCMCIA device?
Anybody knows royaltie-less alternative that are good for linux system?
Thank you.
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