OpenEuphoria

Re: GIF Format

• Posted by "Brett Pantalone (EUS)" <EUSBAPA at AM1.ERICSSON.SE> Aug 30, 1999
• 405 views

Good analysis.  I can't imagine any web developer paying $5k for a license,
when there are better formats for free.  If UniSys was looking to trade
property rights with a few other big companies, that's one thing.  But it
sounds like they are going after everybody, and this is something they can't
win, because the GIF technology is just not that important to anyone.

-- Brett

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Irv Mullins [SMTP:irv at ELLIJAY.COM]
> Sent: Monday, August 30, 1999 11:08 AM
> To:   EUPHORIA at LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU
> Subject:      Re: GIF Format
>
> On Mon, 30 Aug 1999, you wrote:
> > I just ran across this...it appears that if you operate a website that
> > uses gif images,or other LZW(TIFF-LZW, PostScript, Portable Document
> > Format (PDF), V.42bis, etc.) formats, you may have to purchase a $5000
> > license from Unisys, the people who patented the technology.
> ...
> > That, in a nutshell is what's wrong with the world today.
>
> This is also an excellent illustration of the total inability on the part
> of
> management types to apply reason or logic to any problem.
>
> Let's think for a moment: The obvious result of this "patent" enforcement
> will
> be the immediate removal of all gif files from web sites, except for a
> handful
> of very large sites for whom the cost of conversion would be > $5000.
>
> Therefore, there will soon be no real demand for software which
> uses the gif format. Hence, no reason for the software developers to
> license the technology or include it in their products (browsers or
> editors)
> Result: little income to the patent holders, and the eventual inability of
> the few licensed users to find software which supports what is in essence
> an orphaned format..
>
> However, there will still be a significant _outflow_ of money from Unisys.
> Let's "follow the money" -- Is anyone surprised to find that it will go to
> the corporate lawyers?
>
> This is obviously just another attempt by lawyers to extort money from
> their clients and the general public.  (see, for example, tobacco, guns,
> hot
> coffee, .etc....)
>
> Sell your Unisys stock - poor management decisions will kill any business,
> sooner or later.
>
> Irv Mullins