Re: Are GPLed .gifs legal at all ???
On Wed, Jul 12, 2000 at 01:39:55PM -0700, Mark Rafn wrote:
> I don't think the GIFs themselves infringe on the patent, as they do not
> encode or decode any data. The patent is for a process (as are all
> patents, if I understand correctly), not the resulting object.
>
> If the GIFs were created with unlicensed tools, then the author of the
> images might be in violation. If they are viewed with unlicensed tools,
> then the viewer might be in violation. The author/distributor of such
> tools might be in violation. In all cases, it's the tool that is
> infringing the patent, not the data.
There is no patent on LZW decompression. Only compression.
--
Joseph Carter <knghtbrd@debian.org> GnuPG key 1024D/DCF9DAB3
Debian GNU/Linux (http://www.debian.org/) 20F6 2261 F185 7A3E 79FC
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<Crow-> who gives a shit about US law
<jim> anyone living in the US.
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