[NTLUG:Discuss] Re: [svlug] EVENT: Burn All GIFs Day.

[Steve Baker]

"J. Reeves Hall" wrote:
> 
> Steve Baker wrote:
> 
> > "J. Reeves Hall" wrote:
> > >
> > > Don Marti wrote:
> > >
> > > > $5000 to use GIF files on a web site?  It's stupid but it's
> > > > legal, and Unisys wants you to buy a site license for GIFs
> > > > right now.
> >
> > Yikes!
> >
> > Somehow I missed the original email that started this thread...
> > could someone post the URL where the *facts* of this issue
> > live?
> 
> Facts?!? HAH! We want mindless, pointless, leaderless REBELLION!!!

Oh - OK!  Sign me up!  Anarchy!  Rioting!  Deliberate introduction
of new Y2K-incompatibilities!  Yeah!

> Well, here's one link: http://corp2.unisys.com/LeadStory/lzwfaq.html

Uh - I guess I'd better read that then.

> This discussion erupted on svlug, and I felt it important enough to
> crosspost it... I'm not sure which message originated it.

Seriously:

It seems from their statement that there is nothing wrong with
COPYING or STORING GIF images since in so doing you are neither
compressing nor decompressing them.  That seems to me to mean that
we don't all have to rush out and JPEG-ify all the images on existing
sites.

I believe that the situation before this announcement was that you
needed a license to distribute software to generate LZW compressed
GIF's - but they would waive that requirement for freeware.

It looks like the change they are making is that they now require
you to purchase a license to use freeware to generate or read GIF's.
They are trying to make it read like you need to spend the $5k to
have GIF's on your site - but I don't think that's actually what
they are saying.

So, I don't think existing web sites with existing GIFs need to
worry unless the GIF is generated on-the-fly with a CGI program
or something.

However, I guess there is some need to prove that all the GIF's
you made were either with licensed software - or were made prior
to this rule change.

These guys are such low-lifes.  Mass burning of GIF's isn't
enough.  Everyone should be boycotting their other products and
services. Put the b*****ds out of business.

There is nothing wrong with defending your patent rights - but
to let people get away with it for 15 years until it becomes
a de-facto standard and only *THEN* start to enforce it is
morally indefensible. If they had relentlessly pursued people
who violated their patent ten or twelve years ago, I'd have been
behind their decision...but quietly letting the standard grow
until the technology is too firmly embedded to remove easily
and *THEN* slapping everyone with a $5k license fee is completely
unacceptable.

-- 
Steve Baker                  http://web2.airmail.net/sjbaker1
sjbaker1 at airmail.net (home)  http://www.woodsoup.org/~sbaker
sjbaker at hti.com      (work)