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In lugnet.off-topic.geek, Tobias Möller writes:
> I've heard about the GIF licensing fees and all that, but I've never
> been told the answers to my questions, so I hope you can help me.
>
> Actually, there's only one question:
>
> Am I breaking the law when I make GIF images?
>
> --Tobias
Unisys holds a patent on the LZW compression algorythm.
Common GIF implementations use this. There are implementations
(like libungif) that use no compression and can be used freely.
If you use software that creates a GIF, and uses LZW compression,
and you are in a country where Unisys has an enforcable patent for
LZW, *and* the software you use does not have a licence for LZW,
you could be held liable for patent infringment. That's not
a criminal offence, but a civil one and Unisys would have to
persue your case in civil court in a competent jurisdiction.
Most commercial image processing software companies have licensed
LZW for their products, so you have nothing to worry about if the
GIF's you create are made with say Photoshop or another commercial
product that has a LZW license.
KL
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Message has 2 Replies:
 | | Re: GIF licensing
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| Hello, one additionally point: IMHO is the use of the GIF algorithms in non-commercial programs for free. -- Greetings, Carsten Schmitz "Kevin Loch" <kloch@opnsys.com> wrote in message news:G35CE8.Jwx@lugnet.com... (...) (24 years ago, 29-Oct-00, to lugnet.off-topic.geek, lugnet.publish)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | GIF licensing
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| I've heard about the GIF licensing fees and all that, but I've never been told the answers to my questions, so I hope you can help me. Actually, there's only one question: Am I breaking the law when I make GIF images? --Tobias (24 years ago, 28-Oct-00, to lugnet.off-topic.geek, lugnet.publish)
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