GIF Format Issues

[Stephen Lime]

The University will pursue a non-commercial license I suspect. My worry is
more for those using this stuff within a commercial setting, but then again
it's their problem at that point.

Steve

>>> Cameron Shorter <cshorter at optusnet.com.au> 09/01 5:39 AM >>>
If you check out the slashdot article at
http://slashdot.org/articles/99/08/31/0143246.shtml 
they say:
"And if you plan to create - or have already created - free
image-processing software that uses Unisys-patented LZW technology, you
might want to ask the company, very politely, for a giveaway license
that would cover non-commercial use of your product. I suspect that Mr.
Starr (who has final judgement in such matters) might just give you one
if you approach him correctly and you manage to convince him that you
aren't trying to burn Unisys with some sort of bogus giveaway deal that
is really meant to make you or your program's users rich while denying
Unisys shareholders the licensing fees that - like it or not - they are
legally entitled to collect if you try to earn a profit from your use of
their intellectual property."

I reckon you have nothing to loose to contact Unisys and ask to be able
to use the GIF format.

Stephen Lime wrote:
> 
> Greetings: At sometime in the near future a switch from LZW GIF to something
> else, PNG, JPEG or non-LZW GIF will be necessary. Unisys, the LZW patent
> holder, requires that software using it's compression technology be licensed. GD,
> the free GIF graphics library used within the MapServer uses LZW. GD was
> written well before all of these legal happenings and it's unclear what Unisys' stance
> on older software is. New versions of GD support PNG only so it's clear how those
> authors feel.
> 
> To make MapServer useful as OpenSource the reliance on LZW to end. GD 2.0
> looks very promising with support for PNG (up to 24bit), JPG and hopefully a non-LZW
> GIF format, but I've seen no timetable for a 2.0 release.
> 
> Anyone got any comments or ideas?
> 
> Steve
> 
> 
> Stephen Lime
> Internet Applications Analyst
> MIS Bureau - MN DNR
> 
> (651) 297-2937
> steve.lime at dnr.state.mn.us