Re: Are GPLed .gifs legal at all ???

[Tomasz Wegrzanowski <maniek@beer.com>]

On Wed, Jul 12, 2000 at 10:13:56PM -0500, David Starner wrote:
> On Thu, Jul 13, 2000 at 03:48:56AM +0200, Tomasz Wegrzanowski wrote:
> > GPL requires people to whom you redistribute a file
> > to be able to modify and redistribute it.
> > But they can't modify .gifs they got, because of
> > patent problems.
> > GPL says. that if, due to patent problems, you
> > can't meet all licence's critaria, you can't distribute
> > GPLed file at all.
> 
> They can modify and redistribute it. They can load it up
> in Photoshop, they can load it up in hexedit, they can load
> it up in a program that uses libungif, or they can edit it
> outside the United States. All entirely legal ways to edit
> the gif.

I will quote GPL again.

[...]
To prevent this, we have made it clear that any
patent must be licensed for everyone's free use or not licensed at all.
[...]
  2. You may modify your copy or copies of the Program or any portion
of it
[...]
  6. Each time you redistribute the Program (or any work based on the
Program), the recipient automatically receives a license from the
original licensor to copy, distribute or modify the Program subject to
these terms and conditions. 
[...]
If you cannot
distribute so as to satisfy simultaneously your obligations under this
License and any other pertinent obligations, then as a consequence you
may not distribute the Program at all.
[...]

This plainly states that if recipient can't modify .gif in every
way he/she want, you can't distribute GPLed file to him/her.