http://www.cygwin.com/ml/cygwin/2004-07/msg00138.html
given that IBM has a patent on LZW which they are using in their fight with SCO (e.g. they do not appear ready to renounce the patent).
However, IBM's patent, I now learn, is on an algorithm called LZMW, not the same LZW used in libtiff. And all of Unisys' LZW patents are dead.
Hence, according to this discussion by the libtiff developers:
http://www.asmail.be/msg0054702569.html
it appears that as of 2004-07-24 the LZW code was put back into the mainline libtiff development tree (instead of kept separate). Further, both ImageMagick and GD are re-enabling LZW code.
Even debian-legal (Debian!!) has no problem merging LZW code back: http://lists.debian.org/debian-legal/2004/07/msg00091.html
So, to release the latest version of libtiff (3.7.0beta2) I need to do one of the following:
(1) get permission from Red Hat (it's their server, after all) to publish an LZW-enabled libtiff
(2) rip the LZW stuff back out
I'd prefer (1). Corinna?
-- Chuck
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