 pcscdmaChocobo Chocobo Random BattlePremium
join:2004-01-14
Winterset, IA | reply to DaSneaky1D
Re: There is some sanity in the world!! said by DaSneaky1D:
Shoot, if you really want to get into the nitty gritty, are computers "illegal" since they can be used to download GIF files? CompuServe owns the rights to that image format. I don't pay CS everytime I download a GIF file, though I have a copy of "their works" on my computer.
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What if people decided to copywrite their website. Would my computer/brower be seen as "illegal" since I technically have a perfect copy of their page on my computer?
»www.unisys.com/about__unisys/lzw
Unisys has[had] the patents to LZW/GIF. They only charged to encode the files. They didn't charge anything to decode files. I continue to use PNG just as a protest against patents, as do many other people.
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 KoolMoeAw ManPremium
join:2001-02-14
Annapolis, MD | The patent expired last year. Use GIFs at will 
KM |
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| reply to pcscdma
said by pcscdma:
Unisys has[had] the patents to LZW/GIF. They only charged to encode the files.
So when I convert an image to GIF or create one does that mean I am violating patent laws? My guess is Unisys isn't so uptight about usage as the RIAA and MPAA. |
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KoolMoeAw ManPremium
join:2001-02-14
Annapolis, MD | It depended on the software you used to do it.
If you wrote your own software to covert images and apply the LZW compression and you did not license that compression technology from Unisys, then yes, you were in violation of the patent.
If you used someone else's software to do that, then you're kinda in violation, but ultimately the one to 'go after' would be the company that provided/wrote that software.
If you used third-party software that did license that compression scheme, then the gifs you create are fine.
Unisys WAS uptight about it - this is one of the biggest patent arguments of the past decade. It cause all sorts of geek protesting on using gifs. Unisys actively sued companies who made gif creation/conversion software without licensing.
But regardless, the patent is expired anyway, so however you wanna do it...
KM
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