LZW patent (was: RAR under linux: any alternative?)

[hendrik@topoi.pooq.com]

On Thu, Dec 15, 2005 at 09:29:35PM -0300, Gabriel wrote:
> Carl Fink wrote:
> 
> >On Wed, Dec 14, 2005 at 02:34:31PM -0800, Steve Lamb wrote:
> >
> > 
> >
> >>   IIRC one of the algorithms that can be used in zip is lzw which is (or
> >>was) patented.  
> >>   
> >>
> >
> >The patent expired in 2003.
> >
> >	http://www.sslug.dk/patent/lzwunisys.html
> > 
> >
> The license was owned by Unisys and IBM. The one expired in 2003 was the 
> Unisys license. The IBM license expires on 08/11/2006 (in the USA).
> It's the same algorithm used on GIF.

Id does suggest that if IBM were to try to enforce their patent, you
could claim the Unisys patent as prior art in your defence.  This might
possibly be enough for IBM's lawyers to back off.  After all, what's
the point of fighting a probably losing case when the whole thing's
going to expire far sooner than the kawsuit would be settled anyway?
But then, why bother provoking them when the wole thing's going to
expire so soon anyway?  Might as well use PNG.

-- hendrik

> 
> -- 
> 
> 
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> *Gabriel Parrondo*
>