le 2000/10/30 0:21, BMichael@... à BMichael@... a écrit :

>> I don't understand, you need a license to create animated gifs? I've been
>> creating animated gifs for literally years -- hmmm -- should I go on the
>> lamb now?
> 
> If you're using a commercial program to create them, you're safe - it's
> the publishers of Photoshop, for example, that must pay Unisys for the
> "right" to save files in GIF format, not the individual Photoshop user.
> If you write a program that can save GIFs, then you need to get a license.
> 
> AFA reading/displaying GIFs - AFAIK, the decompression algorithm is
> public domain, only the compression algorithm is patented. (But I'm not a
> lawyer, and don't even play one on TV...)

If you're really worried about this then base your company in Europe. As the
EEC doesn't accept software patents [for the moment...] Unisys cannot
enforce their 'rights' overhere.

:-j