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Story: Microsoft criticised for IP address configuration patent

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This predates IPv6! The scheme in question was designed in the 1980s for the OSI Network Layer, and was in DECnet Phase V. Before that, DECnet Phase IV created Ethernet addresses out of network addresses -- the scheme in reverse.

In Phase V, the MAC address was used as the low order, and the network-specific stuff was in the Initial Domain Part and the high order Domain Specific Part. IPv6 took the idea, though it turned out to be a security risk to expose the MAC address that way. No wonder Microsoft wants to pretend they invented it.

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