Re: pbmplus/netpbm & /usr/bin

[Ian Murdock <imurdock@debian.org>]

   Ian M., are there any GNU lawyers we can draw on to tell us what we
   need to do?

As far as I know, it's okay for us to support *reading* GIF, but not
*writing* it.  Therefore, an image viewer that supports viewing GIF
doesn't infringe on the patent, but a conversion program that takes
one format as input and outputs the GIF format does.

I could try to get a legal opinion from the FSF, if you'd like.

--
   "It is error alone which needs the support of government.  Truth
can stand by itself."
                                                --Thomas Jefferson