GIFs in the tcm binary package

[Chris January]

> On Mon, Sep 29, 2003 at 01:31:23PM +0200, Benjamin Riefenstahl wrote:
> > Hi Ronald,
> >
> > Ronald Landheer-Cieslak <blytkerchan@users.sourceforge.net> writes:
> > > I just downloaded the binary package and found a lot of GIF files in
> > > them. I was wondering whether they were LZW-compressed: `file'
> > > doesn't tell met and `mozilla' shows them properly, but I was
> > > worried anyway (patents in Europe...)
> >
> > AFAIK, Unisys only wants license fees for software that creates GIF
> > files that use LZW.  Use and display of GIF files should not be a
> > problem.
> >
> > But of course I am not layer and I may be missing something ...
> I thought (but am by no means certain) that the algorithm for
> decompressing
> LZW is also covered by the patent, in which case you'd need a
> license for any
> software that decompresses it as well.
>
> Again, IANAL - I was just worried that someone might get into trouble..

Where does this patent apply? The relevant patent expired in the US and
software patents are not (yet) valid in member countries in the EU.

Chris