Re: Workaround for compress patent?
jeff@router.patch.net (Jeff Noxon) wrote on 26.01.96 in <[🔎] 199601262307.RAA11146@router.patch.net>:
> This comes from the blurb for xpdf in linux.announce:
>
> > This version contains a workaround for the Unisys LZW patent.
> > LZW-compressed data is converted (without decompressing) to standard
> > UNIX compress format, and then uncompress is used to actually do the
> > decompression.
>
> I wonder if it wouldn't be possible to convert gzip files to compress
> files without recompressing? I haven't seen the patent, but it's just
> a thought...
Besides gzip using LZ77 instead of LZW, the "standard UNIX compress
format" is *definitely* covered by that patent - that's why there *is*
gzip, and why you see less .Z files by the day.
However, gzip includes uncompress code, which seems to indicate
uncompression is unproblematic (it seems the FSF has done extensive
research of this patent issue) - so I fail to see why xpdf is doing these
games.
MfG Kai
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