OpenEuphoria

Re: GIF Format

• Posted by Irv Mullins <irv at ELLIJAY.COM> Aug 31, 1999
• 346 views

On Tue, 31 Aug 1999, you wrote:
> As far as I knew use of GIF format images is free.
> So is using code to read GIFs.
> It's only when you write code to WRITE a file in GIF format that you a
> required to pay the
> licence.
>
> That is a program to read GI's is OK.
> A program that writes GIFs must pay the $5000 licence.
>

Nope. and I quote from the Unisys web page (which probably requires a license,
too!):

License Information on GIF and Other LZW-based Technologies

More and more people are becoming aware that the reading and/or writing of GIF
images requires
a license to use Unisys patented Lempel Ziv Welch (LZW) data compression and
decompression technology, including United States Patent No. 4,558,302,
Japanese Patent Numbers 2,123,602 and 2,610,084, and patents in Canada, France,
Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom. Since January of 1995, Unisys has
entered into almost two thousand license agreements for use of GIF and other
LZW-based technology.
..........
Does this apply to just storing or serving GIF images on a web site?
Yes.  See below:

 Web Site LZW Licenses Available from Unisys

 Because demand for LZW-related technology by Web developers continues to grow,
Unisys wants to make obtaining a license for Web-based use of the LZW
technology as easy and as straightforward as possible. Unisys therefore
announces a new way for operators of certain types of Web sites to obtain an
LZW license.      If you are the operator of an Intranet Web site or an Internet
Billboard Web site (see detailed definitions) and use the types of images
covered by the LZW patent, you qualify.      Types of images covered  GIF,
TIFF-LZW, PDF-LZW images or other LZW graphical formats used in connection with
the creation, operation or maintenance of a Web site.

Now, reading further, you will find out that under certain conditions, a
not-for-profit BBS or  web server with no commercial use or any items
for sale may use  GIFs _IF_ the operator applies for a written waver from
Unisys. This waver may be provided at no charge, if Unisys so decides. Without
the written waver, or the $5000 license, _NO_ use is allowed.

The full text is here: http://corp2.unisys.com/LeadStory/lzwfaq.html
For lawyer-speak, it is pretty clear.

Regards,
Irv