On Wed, Jul 12, 2000 at 01:39:55PM -0700, Mark Rafn wrote: > I don't think the GIFs themselves infringe on the patent, as they do not > encode or decode any data. The patent is for a process (as are all > patents, if I understand correctly), not the resulting object. > > If the GIFs were created with unlicensed tools, then the author of the > images might be in violation. If they are viewed with unlicensed tools, > then the viewer might be in violation. The author/distributor of such > tools might be in violation. In all cases, it's the tool that is > infringing the patent, not the data.
There is no patent on LZW decompression. Only compression. -- Joseph Carter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> GnuPG key 1024D/DCF9DAB3 Debian GNU/Linux (http://www.debian.org/) 20F6 2261 F185 7A3E 79FC The QuakeForge Project (http://quakeforge.net/) 44F9 8FF7 D7A3 DCF9 DAB3 <Crow-> who gives a shit about US law <jim> anyone living in the US.
