[OSGeo-Standards] Please review: Open Letter asking to avoid format fragmentation in LiDAR standards

[Sebastiaan Couwenberg]

On 04/11/2015 09:24 AM, Cameron Shorter wrote:
> I forgot to share URL:
> http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/LIDAR_Format_Letter

Are you aware of the legal issue in LASzip which likely contributed to
ESRI developing their own alternative?

LASzip contains code from the FastAC algorithm which allows distribution
but not modification.

The FastAC license is therefor incompatible with the LGPL-2.1+ license
used for LASzip which guarantees the right to modification.

I've been in contact with the LASzip & FastAC authors, but the latter
while willing have not relicensed the code.

Please help resolve the LASzip issue, so that this is no longer a
barrier to use. The FastAC licensing currently prevents LASzip to be
included in Debian and I assume the ERSI legal department raised similar
concerns to its use.

Kind Regards,

Bas

-- 
 GPG Key ID: 4096R/6750F10AE88D4AF1
Fingerprint: 8182 DE41 7056 408D 6146  50D1 6750 F10A E88D 4AF1