Re: GIF license policy

[Hubert Froehlich]

Kelly Lynn Martin wrote:

> On Thu, 02 Mar 2000 09:12:07 +0100, Hubert Froehlich
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> said:
>
> >We want to use gimp to transform cartographic vector data into GIF
> >images for use in the internet.  However, the rights on the GIF
> >format are owned by Compuserve.
>
> >AFAIK, any software *producing* GIF images (such as Photoshop and all

> >that stuff) has to pay license fees to Compuserve. The software user,

> >then , has got the right to produce ANY amount of images.
>
> I would strongly urge you to use some other format if you're concerned

> about the legal BS that surrounds the LZW patent.  PNG should will
work
> nicely for your purposes.
>
> Kelly

We jhave already considered about PNG, but:

We want to use Java Applets (Java 1.1.X, for use in standard browsers,
no Java 2)
accessing
GIF images and displaying them in a canvas - which is a standard Java
1.1
functionality.

Unfortunately, we have not managed so far to do the same for PNG. Our
Java
knowledge is not so
deep, but there seems to be no *simple* way in standard Java 1.1.
Developing tools
and classes
will exceed our abilites.

Or does anybody know about Java classes helping us with this problem?
(if
possible, not too complicated as our Java knowledge is not too deep...)

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Hubert

--
---

Dr.-Ing. Hubert Fröhlich  Tel. :+49 (0)89 / 2190
- 2580
Bezirksfinanzdirektion MünchenFax  :+49 (0)89 / 2190
- 2459
Alexandrastr. 3
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
D-80538 München
GERMANY



--
---
Dr.-Ing. Hubert Fröhlich  Tel. :+49 (0)89 / 2190 - 2580
Bezirksfinanzdirektion MünchenFax  :+49 (0)89 / 2190 - 2459
Alexandrastr. 3  [EMAIL PROTECTED]
D-80538 München
GERMANY

Re: GIF license policy

[Michael Schumacher]

Am Thu, 2 Mar 2000 schrieb Hubert Froehlich:

> AFAIK, any software *producing* GIF images (such as  Photoshop and all
> that stuff) has to pay license fees to Compuserve. The software user,
> then , has got the right to produce ANY amount of images.
> 
> My question now:
> 
> a) Is this information correct?
> 
> b) what about GIMP? How is the license policy concerning GIMP? To be
> concrete: We want to produce really HUGE AMOUNTS of GIF ( GIF 89a , to
> be precise, NOT the OLD GIF87a ) pictures NOT AT ALL FOR PRIVATE USE and
> don't want ot get any license trouble ...
>
> c) If we need any extra license: where to get it and what does it cost?

a) and c) : Take a look at http://burnallgifs.org/

b) You can't use gimp to produce gifs if you don't live in a country where
   the LZW patent doesn't matter.

Michael

Re: GIF license policy

[Kelly Lynn Martin]

On Thu, 02 Mar 2000 09:12:07 +0100, Hubert Froehlich <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 
said:

>We want to use gimp to transform cartographic vector data into GIF
>images for use in the internet.  However, the rights on the GIF
>format are owned by Compuserve.

>AFAIK, any software *producing* GIF images (such as Photoshop and all
>that stuff) has to pay license fees to Compuserve. The software user,
>then , has got the right to produce ANY amount of images.

I would strongly urge you to use some other format if you're concerned 
about the legal BS that surrounds the LZW patent.  PNG should will work
nicely for your purposes.

Kelly