<p dir="ltr">Michael talks about this tool:</p>
<p dir="ltr">The newest product of rapidlasso is an open source tool aiming to liberate LiDAR points locked-up in proprietary “Optimized LAS”, a highly controversial, closed format with a *.zlas file extension. The new LASliberator comes as both, a DOS command line tool for scripting and with an easy-to-use graphical interface ...</p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="http://rapidlasso.com/2015/04/20/new-lasliberator-frees-lidar-from-closed-format/">http://rapidlasso.com/2015/04/20/new-lasliberator-frees-lidar-from-closed-format/</a></p>
<p dir="ltr">Martin</p>
<div class="gmail_quote">On Apr 20, 2015 9:54 AM, "Michael Gerlek" <<a href="mailto:mpg@flaxen.com">mpg@flaxen.com</a>> wrote:<br type="attribution"><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div style="word-wrap:break-word">After some of us raised concerns about ESRI’s announcement, they clarified that their intended position was as Martin describes.<div><br></div><div>They clearly didn’t (don’t?) understand the *intent* of the Apache license and the term “open source". While perfectly legal, it was (and is) very misleading of them to use the term “open source” anywhere in that repo…</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>aside: They also say in that repo that “it’s easy and free to convert between standard LAS and zLAS”. Until Martin’s new tool came out today, I don’t believe that conversion could possibly be considered either "free" or "easy” :-(<br><div><div><br><div><div>-mpg</div><div><br></div></div></div></div></div><div><br><br>

</div>
<br><div><blockquote type="cite"><div>On Apr 18, 2015, at 9:25 PM, Martin Isenburg <<a href="mailto:martin.isenburg@gmail.com" target="_blank">martin.isenburg@gmail.com</a>> wrote:</div><br><div><div dir="ltr">Hello,<div><br></div><div>ESRI's github repository<span style="font-size:12.8000001907349px"> contain *no* source code, except a sample *.cpp file to show how to use their (Windows-only) binary dll and/or lib files. This is *not* open source in any sense of the word but an </span><span style="font-size:12.8000001907349px">unusal of the Apache license. Below I quote someone whom I've dicussed this with:</span></div><div><span style="font-size:12.8000001907349px"><br></span></div><div><div style="font-size:12.8000001907349px"><div>It is allowed to use Apache License for binary-only software, but that is extremely rare that anyone does that, because it goes against the whole idea of "Open Source". It is only possible because Apache License is a so-called "permissive" license, whereas GPL, CDDL and other "copyleft" licenses will not allow such "source-less Open Source" non-sense:<br><br>See this section of the FAQ on the OSI site (Open Source Initiative):<br><a href="http://opensource.org/faq#non-distribution" target="_blank">http://opensource.org/faq#non-distribution</a><br><br></div>Also this Apache Foundation FAQ:<br><a href="http://www.apache.org/foundation/license-faq.html#WhatDoesItMEAN" target="_blank">http://www.apache.org/foundation/license-faq.html#WhatDoesItMEAN</a><br></div><span style="font-size:12.8000001907349px">"[the Apache license] </span><strong style="font-size:12.8000001907349px">does not require</strong><span style="font-size:12.8000001907349px"> you to include the source of the [..] software itself"</span></div><div><div class="gmail_extra"><br></div><div class="gmail_extra">Regards,</div><div class="gmail_extra"><br></div><div class="gmail_extra">Martin @rapidlasso</div><div class="gmail_extra"><br></div><div class="gmail_extra"><div class="gmail_quote">On Sat, Apr 18, 2015 at 1:51 PM, Cameron Shorter <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:cameron.shorter@gmail.com" target="_blank">cameron.shorter@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left-width:1px;border-left-color:rgb(204,204,204);border-left-style:solid;padding-left:1ex">
  
    
  
  <div bgcolor="#FFFFFF" text="#000000">
    Hi Martin,<br>
    Esri's reference below: <span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><a href="https://github.com/Esri/esri-zlas-io-library" target="_blank"><span style="color:windowtext">https://github.com/Esri/esri-zlas-io-library</span></a>
      states that </span>the esri-zlas-io-library read/writes Optimized
    LAS, and is also Open Source, under the Apache license.<br>
    <br>
    Does this mean that it is possible to reverse engineer the Optimized
    LAS format?<br>
    Would this open the possibility to integrate LASzip and Optimized
    LAS?<br>
    Thoughts?<br>
    <br>
    Regards Cameron.<br>
    <br>
    <div>On 17/04/2015 6:52 pm, Suchith Anand
      wrote:<br>
    </div>
    <blockquote type="cite">
      
      
      
      
      
      <div style="font-size:x-small;font-family:Tahoma;direction:ltr">
        <div dir="ltr">Colleagues,</div>
        <div>
          <div style="font-size:x-small;font-family:Tahoma;direction:ltr">
            <div>
              <div style="font-size:x-small;font-family:Tahoma;direction:ltr">
                <div>
                  <div style="font-size:x-small;font-family:Tahoma;direction:ltr">
                    <div> </div>
                    <div><font face="tahoma">I would like to invite
                        inputs from the geocommunity so I can include
                        all concerns of the wider geospatial
                        community in my email response <span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif">. Please
                          do email your inputs to me before 25th April
                          2015 for this.</span><div><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif"></span> <br></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif">If you have not yet signed the
                            letter at
                            <a href="http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/LIDAR_Format_Letter" target="_blank">http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/LIDAR_Format_Letter</a>  
                            may I  request that all who wish to support
                            this effort to protect Open Standards for
                            Geospatial data to kindly add your name ,
                            email, affiliation details to the wikipage
                            directly or email  <strong><span style="font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif">Patrick Hogan</span></strong>
                            (Email -
                            <a href="mailto:patrick.hogan@nasa.gov" target="_blank">patrick.hogan@nasa.gov</a>
                            ) with the subject heading
                            <strong><span style="font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif">"Support for Open
                                Geo Standards"</span></strong> and the
                            following fields (Name, Email, Affiliation )
                            and we will gladly add this to the wiki.</span></p>
                         </font></div>
                    <div><font face="tahoma">Best wishes,</font></div>
                    <div> </div>
                    <div><font face="tahoma">Suchith</font></div>
                    <div>
                      <div><font size="2">
                        </font>
                        <div><font size="2"><div><span style="font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif" lang="EN-US"></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif" lang="EN-US"></span><br></div>
                          </font>
                        </div>
                      </div>
                    </div>
                    <div style="direction:ltr">
                      <hr>
                      <font face="Tahoma" size="2"><b>From:</b>
                        TC-Discuss
                        [<a href="mailto:tc-discuss-bounces@lists.opengeospatial.org" target="_blank">tc-discuss-bounces@lists.opengeospatial.org</a>] On
                        Behalf Of Keith Ryden [<a href="mailto:kryden@esri.com" target="_blank">kryden@esri.com</a>]<br>
                        <b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, April 15, 2015 7:54 PM<br>
                        <b>To:</b> <a href="mailto:tc-discuss@lists.opengeospatial.org" target="_blank">tc-discuss@lists.opengeospatial.org</a><br>
                        <b>Subject:</b> Re: [TC-Discuss] Open Letter for
                        the need for Open Standards in LiDAR<br>
                      </font><br>
                    </div>
                    <div>
                      <div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Cambria,serif">Regarding
                            Dr. Anand’s concerns and the referenced
                            letter below:</span></p><div><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Cambria,serif"></span> <br></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif">Esri
                            has long understood the importance of
                            interoperability between systems and users
                            of geographic information and services. Esri
                            has participated in the development of
                            national, information community, OGC, and
                            ISO TC 211 standards from the development of
                            the US Spatial Data Transfer Standard in the
                            1980s through the development of OGC
                            Geopackage today. As a sustaining member of
                            ASPRS and a Principle member of OGC, Esri
                            would gladly participate in efforts to
                            further the development of open LIDAR and
                            point cloud standards. Keep in mind that
                            ASPRS owns and maintains LAS, along with
                            other spatial information standards, and
                            would have the lead in moving it into  OGC
                            or ISO TC211 for further work if they so
                            desired. Esri will continue to support and
                            use the ASPRS LAS standard; the Optimized
                            LAS (see FAQ at<span> </span><a href="https://github.com/Esri/esri-zlas-io-library" target="_blank"><span style="color:windowtext">https://github.com/Esri/esri-zlas-io-library</span></a>)
                            is not intended to replace LAS but to
                            enhance access to remotely stored LIDAR
                            information for our users. </span></p><div><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Cambria,serif"></span> <br></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Cambria,serif">Regards,</span></p><div><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Cambria,serif"></span> <br></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Cambria,serif">Keith
                            Ryden</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Cambria,serif">ESRI
                            Software Development</span></p><div><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(31,73,125)"></span> <br></div>
                        <div>
                          <div style="border-top-color:rgb(181,196,223);border-width:1pt medium medium;border-style:solid none none;padding:3pt 0in 0in"><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif"> TC-Discuss
                                [<a href="mailto:tc-discuss-bounces+kryden=esri.com@lists.opengeospatial.org" target="_blank">mailto:tc-discuss-bounces+kryden=esri.com@lists.opengeospatial.org</a>]
                                <b>On Behalf Of </b>Suchith Anand<br>
                                <b>Sent:</b> Monday, April 13, 2015
                                10:30 AM<br>
                                <b>To:</b> <a href="mailto:discuss@lists.osgeo.org" target="_blank">discuss@lists.osgeo.org</a>;
                                <a href="mailto:ica-osgeo-labs@lists.osgeo.org" target="_blank">ica-osgeo-labs@lists.osgeo.org</a>;
                                <a href="mailto:tc-discuss@lists.opengeospatial.org" target="_blank">tc-discuss@lists.opengeospatial.org</a><br>
                                <b>Subject:</b> [TC-Discuss] Open Letter
                                for the need for Open Standards in LiDAR</span></p>
                          </div>
                        </div><div> <br></div>
                        <div><span>
                          <div><p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif">To
                                  all colleagues in Academia, Government
                                  and Industry who have interest in
                                  maintaining Open Standards:</span></strong><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif"></span></p>
                          </div>
                          <div><div><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif"></span> <br></div>
                          </div>
                          <div><div><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif"></span> <br></div>
                          </div>
                          <div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif">On
                                behalf of
                                <strong><span style="font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif">"Geo for All"</span></strong>
                                community,
                                <a href="http://www.geoforall.org/" target="_blank">http://www.geoforall.org</a>,
                                I would like to bring to your kind
                                attention a significant development that
                                can lead to undermining our principle
                                for Open Geospatial Standards. I request
                                you review the wikipage
                                <a href="http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/LIDAR_Format_Letter" target="_blank">http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/LIDAR_Format_Letter</a>  
                                that is meant to represent our concern
                                and allow for ongoing input and
                                expression by our geospatial community.</span></p>
                          </div>
                          <div><div><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif"></span> <br></div>
                          </div>
                          </span><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif">We
                                specifically thank Martin Isenburg
                                (author of LASzip and LAStools,
                                <a href="http://laszip.org/" target="_blank">http://laszip.org</a>
                                and <a href="http://lastools.org/" target="_blank">
                                  http://lastools.org</a>) for  bringing
                                this matter to our attention (email
                                below) and an email thread of our
                                initial discussion of this subject that
                                highlight the wider implication of this
                                issue
                                <a href="http://lists.osgeo.org/pipermail/ica-osgeo-labs/2015-March/001225.html" target="_blank">
http://lists.osgeo.org/pipermail/ica-osgeo-labs/2015-March/001225.html</a>
                              </span>
                            </p>
                          </div><span>
                          <div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif">We
                                request all who wish to support this
                                effort to protect Open Standards for
                                Geospatial data to kindly add your name
                                , email, affiliation details to the
                                wikipage directly or email  <strong><span style="font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif">Patrick Hogan</span></strong>
                                (Email -
                                <a href="mailto:patrick.hogan@nasa.gov" target="_blank">patrick.hogan@nasa.gov</a>
                                ) with the subject heading
                                <strong><span style="font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif">"Support for
                                    Open Geo Standards"</span></strong>
                                and the following fields (Name, Email,
                                Affiliation ) and we will gladly add
                                this to the wiki.</span></p>
                          </div>
                          <div><div><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif"></span> <br></div>
                          </div>
                          <div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif">There
                                is current interest by the OGC in
                                pursuing point cloud encoding standards,
                                including a member-initiated mechanism
                                to extend LAS data with OGC-standard XML
                                content. The OGC invites interested
                                members who wish to  work on this effort
                                to please contact
                                <strong><span style="font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif">Scott Simmons</span></strong>
                                (Executive Director, Standards Program 
                                E-mail :
                                <a href="mailto:ssimmons@opengeospatial.org" target="_blank">ssimmons@opengeospatial.org</a> 
                                ) to register their interest and discuss
                                details.  OGC will also be holding an ad
                                hoc session at our next Technical
                                Committee meeting in Boulder, CO, USA in
                                June 1st (more details will be send
                                soon) to bring together all interested
                                from all sectors (government, industry,
                                academia) for this and plan next steps.
                                We welcome feedback and input from Esri
                                and invite them to join this effort to 
                                support open LIDAR formats.</span></p>
                          </div>
                          <div><div><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif"></span> <br></div>
                          </div>
                          <div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif">I
                                thank you all again for your attention
                                and support for this important matter.</span></p>
                          </div>
                          <div><div><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif"></span> <br></div>
                          </div>
                          <div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif">Best
                                wishes,</span></p>
                          </div>
                          <div><div><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif"></span> <br></div>
                          </div>
                          <div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif">Suchith
                                Anand<br>
                                Founder, GeoForAll<br>
                                <a href="http://www.geoforall.org/" target="_blank">http://www.geoforall.org</a></span></p>
                          </div>
                          <div><div><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif"></span> <br></div>
                          </div>
                          <div><div><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif"></span> <br></div>
                          </div>
                          </span><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif"><br>
                                <br>
                                -------- Forwarded Message -------- </span></p>
                            <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0">
                              <tbody>
                                <tr>
                                  <td style="padding:0in" nowrap valign="top"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:right" align="right"><b>Subject: </b></p>
                                  </td>
                                  <td style="padding:0in"><p class="MsoNormal">Please review:
                                      Open Letter asking to avoid format
                                      fragmentation in LiDAR standards</p>
                                  </td>
                                </tr>
                                <tr>
                                  <td style="padding:0in" nowrap valign="top"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:right" align="right"><b>Date: </b></p>
                                  </td>
                                  <td style="padding:0in"><p class="MsoNormal">Sat, 11 Apr
                                      2015 12:14:51 +1000</p>
                                  </td>
                                </tr>
                                <tr>
                                  <td style="padding:0in" nowrap valign="top"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:right" align="right"><b>From: </b></p>
                                  </td>
                                  <td style="padding:0in"><p class="MsoNormal">Cameron Shorter
                                      <a href="mailto:cameron.shorter@gmail.com" target="_blank"><cameron.shorter@gmail.com></a></p>
                                  </td>
                                </tr>
                                <tr>
                                  <td style="padding:0in" nowrap valign="top"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:right" align="right"><b>To: </b></p>
                                  </td>
                                  <td style="padding:0in"><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="mailto:standards@lists.osgeo.org" target="_blank">standards@lists.osgeo.org</a>
                                      <a href="mailto:standards@lists.osgeo.org" target="_blank"><standards@lists.osgeo.org></a></p>
                                  </td>
                                </tr>
                              </tbody>
                            </table><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif"><br>
                                <br>
                                Hi all,<br>
                                A number of us have been collaboratively
                                developing an Open Letter asking key
                                stakeholders to avoid fragmentation in
                                LiDAR standards.<br>
                                <br>
                                It starts:<br>
                                <i>We, the undersigned, are concerned
                                  that the current interoperability
                                  between LiDAR applications, through
                                  use of the open "LAS" format, is being
                                  threatened by ESRI's introduction and
                                  promotion of an alternative "Optimized
                                  LAS" proprietary format. This is of
                                  concern since the fragmentation of the
                                  LAS format will lead to reduced
                                  interoperability between applications
                                  and organisations, and introduce
                                  vendor lock-in.</i><br>
                                <br>
                                Could all interested please:<br>
                                1. Review and provide feedback to this
                                standards email list<br>
                                2. If you agree with the letter, please
                                add your name to the "Signed" section</span></p>
                          </div>
                          <div>
                            <div>
                              <pre><span>-- </span></pre>
                              <pre><span>Cameron Shorter,</span></pre>
                              <pre><span>Software and Data Solutions Manager</span></pre>
                              <pre><span>LISAsoft</span></pre>
                              <pre><span>Suite 112, Jones Bay Wharf,</span></pre>
                              <pre><span>26 - 32 Pirrama Rd, Pyrmont NSW 2009</span></pre>
                              <pre><span> </span></pre>
                              <pre><span>P <a href="tel:%2B61%202%209009%205000" value="+61290095000" target="_blank">+61 2 9009 5000</a>,  W <a href="http://www.lisasoft.com/" target="_blank">www.lisasoft.com</a>,  F <a href="tel:%2B61%202%209009%205099" value="+61290095099" target="_blank">+61 2 9009 5099</a></span></pre><div><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif"></span> <br></div>
                            </div><div><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif"></span> <br></div>
                          </div>
                        </div><div><div>
                        <pre> </pre>
                        <pre> </pre>
                        <pre> </pre>
                        <pre>This message and any attachment are intended solely for the addressee</pre>
                        <pre>and may contain confidential information. If you have received this</pre>
                        <pre>message in error, please send it back to me, and immediately delete it. </pre>
                        <pre> </pre>
                        <pre>Please do not use, copy or disclose the information contained in this</pre>
                        <pre>message or in any attachment.  Any views or opinions expressed by the</pre>
                        <pre>author of this email do not necessarily reflect the views of the</pre>
                        <pre>University of Nottingham.</pre>
                        <pre> </pre>
                        <pre>This message has been checked for viruses but the contents of an</pre>
                        <pre>attachment may still contain software viruses which could damage your</pre>
                        <pre>computer system, you are advised to perform your own checks. Email</pre>
                        <pre>communications with the University of Nottingham may be monitored as</pre>
                        <pre>permitted by UK legislation.</pre>
                      </div></div></div>
                    </div>
                  </div><div><div>
                  <pre>This message and any attachment are intended solely for the addressee
and may contain confidential information. If you have received this
message in error, please send it back to me, and immediately delete it. 

Please do not use, copy or disclose the information contained in this
message or in any attachment.  Any views or opinions expressed by the
author of this email do not necessarily reflect the views of the
University of Nottingham.

This message has been checked for viruses but the contents of an
attachment may still contain software viruses which could damage your
computer system, you are advised to perform your own checks. Email
communications with the University of Nottingham may be monitored as
permitted by UK legislation.
</pre>
                </div></div></div>
              </div>
            </div>
          </div><div><div>
          <pre>This message and any attachment are intended solely for the addressee
and may contain confidential information. If you have received this
message in error, please send it back to me, and immediately delete it. 

Please do not use, copy or disclose the information contained in this
message or in any attachment.  Any views or opinions expressed by the
author of this email do not necessarily reflect the views of the
University of Nottingham.

This message has been checked for viruses but the contents of an
attachment may still contain software viruses which could damage your
computer system, you are advised to perform your own checks. Email
communications with the University of Nottingham may be monitored as
permitted by UK legislation.
</pre>
        </div></div></div>
      </div><div><div>
      <pre>This message and any attachment are intended solely for the addressee
and may contain confidential information. If you have received this
message in error, please send it back to me, and immediately delete it. 

Please do not use, copy or disclose the information contained in this
message or in any attachment.  Any views or opinions expressed by the
author of this email do not necessarily reflect the views of the
University of Nottingham.

This message has been checked for viruses but the contents of an
attachment may still contain software viruses which could damage your
computer system, you are advised to perform your own checks. Email
communications with the University of Nottingham may be monitored as
permitted by UK legislation.
</pre>
      <br>
      <fieldset></fieldset>
      <br>
      </div></div><pre>_______________________________________________
Discuss mailing list
<a href="mailto:Discuss@lists.osgeo.org" target="_blank">Discuss@lists.osgeo.org</a>
<a href="http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss" target="_blank">http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss</a></pre><span><font color="#888888">
    </font></span></blockquote><span><font color="#888888">
    <br>
    <pre cols="72">-- 
Cameron Shorter,
Software and Data Solutions Manager
LISAsoft
Suite 112, Jones Bay Wharf,
26 - 32 Pirrama Rd, Pyrmont NSW 2009

P <a href="tel:%2B61%202%209009%205000" value="+61290095000" target="_blank">+61 2 9009 5000</a>,  W <a href="http://www.lisasoft.com/" target="_blank">www.lisasoft.com</a>,  F <a href="tel:%2B61%202%209009%205099" value="+61290095099" target="_blank">+61 2 9009 5099</a></pre>
  </font></span></div>

</blockquote></div><br></div></div></div>
_______________________________________________<br>Standards mailing list<br><a href="mailto:Standards@lists.osgeo.org" target="_blank">Standards@lists.osgeo.org</a><br><a href="http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/standards" target="_blank">http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/standards</a></div></blockquote></div><br></div></blockquote></div>