Re: GIF patent issue
bruce@va.debian.org wrote on 31.12.97 in <19971231201841.4201.qmail@va.debian.org>:
> Please be aware that the GIF patent issue is for WRITERS only. Readers
> do not use the patented algorithm. Often you can put the writer in non-free
> and leave the rest of the program in main.
Indeed.
The problem is the compression algorithm, which is the exact same
algorithm as with the `compress' program (Unisys holds that patent). Note
that gzip does include decompression, and has no trouble being in main;
whereas ncompress does compression, and is in non-free.
MfG Kai
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