ietf-822
[Top] [All Lists]

let's get rid of image/gif

1995-01-07 23:14:02
I just heard that Unisys is now insisting that implementors of GIF
get a license from them and pay them a royalty.  Seems GIF uses LZW
compression, for which Unisys claims to have a patent.

My recollection is that there are rules about use of patented 
technology in Internet standards -- something to do about the
patent owner has to make them available to all for a reasonable
fee.  I don't know whether Unisys has done this or not.

So I suggest that image/gif be removed from the Full Standard
version of MIME.  The content-type registration will of course
remain in effect, but it probably needs to be amended to include
a warning to the effect that image/gif employs technology to 
which someone claims a patent.

Let's stamp out software patents in our lifetime.

Keith

<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>