Ben Wing <ben(a)666.com> writes:
Andy Piper wrote:
> At 22:23 21/07/98 +0900, P. E. Jareth Hein wrote:
> >It really pains me to have to do this, but UniSys has given us no
> >choice. Due to their claims that "Our patents cover both creating
> >graphics and displaying (e.g., reading, decompressing) LZW. As such,
> >a license is rquired to create or distribute products incorporating
> >such capability." we must remove this support from XEmacs, and I am
> >requesting that all of you who've downloaded GifReader please delete
> >it.
[Ben transcripted: XEmacs' GIF support might not be PC, but it certainly
isn't illegal.]
Unfortunatly, that's not UniSys' view on the situation. Their take is
that any use of LZW requires a license from them. The comment in my
previous quote is a direct quote from one of their lawyers, and while
it displays a disturbing lack of comprehension (can anyone tell me
what LZW looks like so I know how to avoid displaying it??? <grin>)
they are showing a zeal for jumping up and down upon people who
violate their supposed turf. While I'm fairly sure it wouldn't stand
up in court (at least for decompresion purposes), I can't afford to
be a guniea-pig right about now...
>
> Why can't you leave the support in even if we can't distribute an XEmacs
> with it?
>
I'm sorry, but I don't quite understand the question. Are you
sugesting #ifdefing it out, or something else?
--
Jareth Hein | jareth(a)camelot.co.jp | ハイン ジェラス
Toolsmith & Program lead |
http://www.camelot.co.jp | 開発部チーフ
Camelot Software, Ltd. | |(株)キャメロット
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include 'main-line battle tank'" - Ambassador Grossblunder