I am a wee bit concerned about using GIF files on web sites I host
commercially. I would like to migrate to using PNG exclusively.
Is there a way to have Analog generate its report referencing analogous PNG
files instead of GIFs?
Here are a couple things I wish to quote that give rise to the question.
>The PNG home site at <http://www.cdrom.com/pub/png/>
>has very complete information on the PNG standard, PNG libraries, and PNG
>tools.
and this from the gif2png man page:
>PATENT ISSUES
> The GIF format is encumbered by a Unisys
> patent (see
> <http://www.patents.ibm.com/details?pn=US04558302__>) for the
> Lempel-Ziv-
> Welch compression algorithm. Use of any GIF image generator not
> licensed by
> Unisys can make you liable to lawsuit. Unisys apparently
> refuses to issue
> licenses for use of LZW in open-source programs, and in 1999
> stated that its
> policy is to require a $5000 fee from websites that carry GIF
> images made by
> unlicensed software -- even nonprofit websites created and
> displayed with
> free software. See
> <http://corp2.unisys.com/LeadStory/lzw-license.html> for
> details.
>
> The patent probably does not cover LZW decompressors such as the
> one gif2png
> uses; legal opinions are divided on this, there has been no court
> test, and
> Unisys refuses to commit itself. It is possible that you may be
> liable if
> you distribute gif2png in a commercial program, or distribute
> gif2png on a
> for-profit basis.
>
> For a history of the GIF patent
> controversy, see
> <http://lpf.ai.mit.edu/Patents/Gif/Gif.html>. To avoid
> legal problems, it
> would be a good idea to convert all GIFs on your websites and
> elsewhere to
> PNGs without delay. See <http://burnallgifs.org/> for discussion.
Paul Franz
PAF Consulting Engineers | 427 - 140th Ave NE
(425)641-8202 voice | Bellevue, WA 98005
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