Happy GIF day

[feilong]

[copied from Neowin.net]

"Today, 20 June 2003 is GIF Freedom Day, the day on which US Patent 4,558,302 expires from Unisys. This patent describes the LZW compression algorithm used in .gif files, now allowing unlimited downloads (free-use) of gif-encoding software such as the famous image editor the Gimp."

So in the next update, support for (transparency in) GIF's ?

[Corey]

Yippee!!!

Corey Milner
Creative Director, Indigo Rose Software

[Sneeze]

"Yipee!!!" means...
the next AMS Update includes a GIF-File support?

[Corey]

Not sure, that's not my dept.

Corey Milner
Creative Director, Indigo Rose Software

[Lorne]

Someone last week was saying it doesn't expire for another year in Canada (and a few other countries). It might have to be handled as an optional "U.S. only" patch, or delayed for another year...I dunno. [img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[AGRO]

I vote for the optional U.S. patch!!!!!

[Corey]

From the following link, "The U.S. LZW patent expires June 20, 2003, the counterpart Canadian patent expires July 7, 2004"

http://www.unisys.com/about__unisys/lzw

Being that much of our software is shipped to U.S. a patch would be the fairest solution. By the way, notice Unisys is located on "Unisys Way" that explains a lot. Once they name a street after you, logic/reality starts to get real fuzzy. If you don't believe me, ask Wayne Gretzky.

Corey Milner
Creative Director, Indigo Rose Software

[Sneeze]

in this case Indigo Rose should move to the states [img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[Corey]

Nope, you should move to Canada. You might not have any .gif support then but you'll be too busy having fun to notice.

You'll be all like, "Gif? What gif? Oh yeah..." And then we'll be all like, "Told you so..." and you'll be all like, "Whatever...", then we'll be all like, "Talk to the hand..." and you'll be all, "As if..." and so forth.

Corey Milner
Creative Director, Indigo Rose Software

[TJ_Tigger]

And this one time at Canadian Band Camp . . .

[Derek]

... something about a flute!!! [img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/shocked.gif[/img]

[Bruce]

Any news on an optional U.S. patch, maybe… Small teaser?

[Colin]

Hi Bruce,

My current understanding is that Unisys is still enforcing their patent on software developers as it has not expired in most of the world (of course the USA is a notable exception). You've got to jump through hoops in order to prove to them that your software won't fall into the hands of non USA customers and then they just might issue you a waiver.

Anyhow, the long and short of it is that it'll be another year before GIF is finally patent-free.