Patent Fight Could Add to Cost of Inter

[John Fricker]

Unisys owns the patent for LZW compression which GIF (and TIFF and many other programs) utilizes. Unisys is the company that put pressure on CIS because CIS had developed the GIF format. 

CIS did nothing other than ruffle many peoples feathers and inspire the PNG team to create a new spec. JPEG support was inevitable across the board.

If I remember correctly the LZW patent expires next year.

The interesting patent I'm waiting to bubble to the top of pond is the one that covers the display of advertising material in a software program. I'm not making that up!

>Vince Callaway (vince at web.wa.net) said something about Re: Patent Fight Could Add to Cost of Inter  on or about 11/21/96 2:32 PM

>
>> ``We believe it's important to draw a line in the sand and make 
>> them prove infringement,'' said CompuServe spokeswoman Gail 
>> Whitcomb. ``We think their claim is way too broad.'' 
>
>This is quite a statement coming from a company that flexed its muscles on
>the .GIF file spec. about 3 years ago.
>
>If I remember right Compuserve caused some some major changes in RIP and
>HTTP developement.  Until that time the only graphic format supported in
>Mosaic was .GIF.  JPEG was promptly added and there was hot debate about
>the issue.
>
>Did not slow down the net much though.
>
>End of message

--j
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| John Fricker (jfricker at vertexgroup.com)
| -random notes-
| My PGP public key is available by sending me mail with subject "send pgp key".
| www.Program.com is a good programmer web site.
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