Peter Ondraska wrote:
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> Date: Wed, 7 Feb 2001 11:05:05 -0500 (EST)
> From: Steve <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Subject: Re: gif license
>
> On Wed, 7 Feb 2001, Peter Ondraska wrote:
>
> > Hi guys.
> > I'm closely following the discussion about the lincesing of Gif producing
> > applications.
> >
> > And I wonder if I also officialy have to get some lincence. I have written
> > a gif viewer and I offer it as freeware.
> >
> > Can you help me?
>
> According to Unisys, freeware applications do need a license...
> however, according to their page at
> http://www.unisys.com/unisys/lzw/default.asp,
> "...reading and/or writing gif images requires a license to use
> Unisys patented Lempel Ziv Welch (LZW) data compression and
> decompression technology, including United States Patent No.
> 4,558,302, Japanese Patent Numbers 2,123,602 and 2,610,084, and
> patents in Canada, France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom."
>
> It would appear, on the face of it, that the patent is only
> enforceable in those listed countries, however, you never know
> what kind of applicable treaties might be in force.
>
> I would suggest you write to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and see what
> they say. If you mention what country you're from, and the fact
> that it's freeware, they might just send you a certificate that
> you don't need a license.
>
> - Steve
>
Thanks Steve.
If anyone is interested in this problem, read further.
--I wrote them and got this:
With respect to freeware, you would be responsible for a minimum license
fee of
15 or 25 cents for every copy you distribute or authorize use of. A
non-refundable advance royalty payment is payable at the time the license
agreement is entered. This advance is a credit against future license
fees.
--Then I replied:
As the program is free for download, I don't have any way to count how
many people got it or are using it.
And I earn no money on it, so it is non-sense for me to pay any fees. If
there isn't any cost free way, how should I alter the program? Remove
the LZW or warn the users in the documentation, that the LZW is not
licensed?
What do you suggest?
--And the final words from them:
We suggest you remove the LZW capability.
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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Isn't it reactions like this that cause great minds to develop alternate
methods?
Isn't this what Phil Katz did when he was told that he had to pay royalties
for the use of his compression routine, PKPAK/PKUNPAK, and he developed the
routine, PKZIP/PKUNZIP? PAK and UNPAK quickly disappeared into obscurity and
ZIP became the defacto standard for file compression.
Long live ingenuity!
Roger Turk
Tucson, Arizona USA
