[OSGeo-Discuss] Open File Formats and Proprietary Algorithms [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED]

[Cameron Shorter]

 Bruce,
For your information, I expect to be talking to Chris, from the National 
Archives Australia this coming week.

Apparently they store their data sets in Open formats, but don't know 
how to store GIS datasets in open formats. I'm hoping that we can help.

Bruce Bannerman wrote:
> IMO:
>
>
> Just another thought on this issue (though we do seem to be recycling arguments over the years...):
>
>
> Assuming that I have a very large archive of spatial data, be it imagery or any other spatial format and that I store my data in a variety of proprietary formats:
>
>
> In ten years from now, can I be sure that:
>
> - the company that created, understands, and holds the IP in the 
>   data format will still be around?
>
> - there will still be software that runs on the then current
>   operating environment, that can read and 'fully exploit' the data
>   in the proprietary standard?
>
> - that this future software will work seamlessly with my then current 
>   spatial environment?
>
> - if all of the above risks prove to eventuate, can I be sure that I'll
>   be able to salvage my data into another format, retaining its complete 
>   semantic context?
>
>
> IMO, it is a high risk proposition to lock public (or private) archives away in proprietary data formats. It makes more sense to use open standards and formats that are publically available.
>
>
>
> Bruce Bannerman
>
>
>
>  
>
>   
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: discuss-bounces at lists.osgeo.org 
>> [mailto:discuss-bounces at lists.osgeo.org] On Behalf Of Michael 
>> P. Gerlek
>> Sent: Friday, 21 August 2009 6:55 AM
>> To: OSGeo Discussions
>> Subject: RE: [OSGeo-Discuss] Open File Formats and 
>> Proprietary Algorithms
>>
>> Some clarifications:
>>
>>  
>>
>> - MrSID has both lossy and lossless modes
>>
>> - MrSID is not fractal based; it uses wavelets (and 
>> arithmetic encoding)
>>
>> - you can't copyright algorithms; the MrSID source code 
>> certainly is, however
>>
>> - MrSID relies on a number of patents, not all of which are 
>> owned by LizardTech
>>
>> - reading MrSID does not require any fees; we have libraries 
>> you can download, although they are not open source
>>
>>  
>>
>> That said, some editorial comments (although I'm now wishing 
>> I hadn't been so quick to rise to Landon's bait :-)
>>
>>  
>>
>> - Some of you know the history of trying to open source 
>> MrSID; I won't go into that here, except to say that 
>> LizardTech doesn't own all of the required IP needed to make 
>> that happen.
>>
>> - If we are speaking of the NAIP data, then no, it is not 
>> exclusively available in MrSID format; it is also shipped as GeoTIFFs.
>>
>> - JPEG 2000 is a very robust open standard alternative to 
>> MrSID, and a number of players already support it (including 
>> LizardTech), but not enough to make it viable for certain 
>> domains like NAIP.
>>
>> - some of you also know the history on open JP2 support: 
>> there is today no open source implementation of JP2 that is 
>> suitable for geo work.  Alas.
>>
>>  
>>
>> -mpg
>>
>>  
>>
>>  
>>
>> From: discuss-bounces at lists.osgeo.org 
>> [mailto:discuss-bounces at lists.osgeo.org] On Behalf Of Eric Wolf
>> Sent: Thursday, August 20, 2009 2:15 PM
>> To: OSGeo Discussions
>> Subject: Re: [OSGeo-Discuss] Open File Formats and 
>> Proprietary Algorithms
>>
>>  
>>
>> The MRSID format is a very special case - and perhaps an 
>> opportunity for a new FOSS file format. MRSID is a lossless, 
>> fractal-based, multi-scale raster compression format. 
>> LizardTech has the algorithms to encode and decode MRSID 
>> locked up in copyrights, and I believe, patents. Even 
>> companies like ESRI shell out big bucks to LizardTech to be 
>> able to read and write the MRSID format.
>>
>>  
>>
>> I guess I missed the context of the discussion. Is the 
>> government releasing certain data exclusively in this format? 
>> If so, I think the argument can be made against this 
>> practice. The different in compression between MRSID and 
>> gziped TIFFs isn't really that great in this day of cheap 
>> disks and fat pipes.
>>
>>  
>>
>> -Eric
>>
>>
>> -=--=---=----=----=---=--=-=--=---=----=---=--=-=-
>> Eric B. Wolf                    New! 720-334-7734
>> USGS Geographer
>> Center of Excellence in GIScience
>> PhD Student
>> CU-Boulder - Geography
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>  
>>
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>>     
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-- 
Cameron Shorter
Geospatial Systems Architect
Tel: +61 (0)2 8570 5050
Mob: +61 (0)419 142 254

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