GIF-patent endnu ikke udløbet

[Hans Schou <sslug@sslug>]

gd-lib havde indtil juni 1999 GIF-komprimering med i pakken. Efter en 
henvendelse fra Unisys advokat angående krænkelse af softwarepatenter, 
blev GIF-komprimering taget ud af pakken.

"UPDATED GIF INFORMATION, 06/17/03: Many have asked whether gd will 
support creating GIF files again after June 20th, 2003, when the 
well-known Unisys LZW patent expires. Although this patent exires in 
the US soon, this patent does not expire for another year in the rest 
of the world. Since I have no way of limiting distribution of 
GIF-creating code to US users only, I have opted to follow the same 
policy that the ImageMagick authors are following: GIF creation will 
not reappear in gd until the patent expires world-wide on July 7th, 
2004. I realize this situation is frustrating for many; please direct 
your anger and complaints toward the questionable patent system that 
allows the patenting of such straightforward algorithms in the first 
place."

http://www.boutell.com/gd/

De lande der så er tale om nu, må være Tyskland, England, 
Frankrig og Italien.

Iøvrigt, al den snak om softwarepatenter i Europa er ikke særligt 
relevant. Kan man udtage et softwarepatent i et enkelt land, så gælder 
det i princippet hele verden.

/hans
-- 
Hamletsgade 4 - 201, DK-2200 København N, Phone: +45 3582 9079
Schou Industries ApS      http://schou.dk/    CVR: 26 13 44 39
--------------------------------------------------------------
If creativity is the field, copyright is the fence.
					-- John Oswald