[XML-DEV Mailing List Archive Home] [By Thread] [By Date] [Recent Entries] [Reply To This Message]

Re: [OT] Re: Geoworks and their patent

• From: Vilya Harvey <vilya@n...>
• To: xml-dev@i...
• Date: Mon, 24 Jan 2000 14:33:35 +0000

David Megginson wrote:
> In general, though, are there any recent examples of the big tech
> companies (i.e. Microsoft, IBM, Sun, etc.) trying to enforce a
> software patent?

The obvious example that springs to mind is Unisys and their patent on a
particular compression technique (was it LZW compression?). The patent
covered compressed GIF files, among other things, and was the cause of
much consternation for the global graphics community. Unisys have been
fairly active about enforcing the patent too, I believe.

An interesting point though, is the response that this generated: the
enforcement of the patent on GIF files led directly to the development of
the (superior) public domain PNG file format, which is slowly but surely
replacing GIF as one of the formats of choice for images on the web. I
think there's probably a lesson in that somewhere...

Vil.
-- 
Vilya Harvey  <vilya@n...>    Wilkinson House  Mob: +44  961 106 505
Computational Mathematics Group   Jordan Hill Road   Wk: +44 1865 511 245
NAG Limited                    Oxford  UK  OX2 8DR  Fax: +44 1865 311 205

xml-dev: A list for W3C XML Developers. To post, mailto:xml-dev@i...
Archived as: http://www.lists.ic.ac.uk/hypermail/xml-dev/ or CD-ROM/ISBN 981-02-3594-1
Unsubscribe by posting to majordom@i... the message
unsubscribe xml-dev  (or)
unsubscribe xml-dev your-subscribed-email@your-subscribed-address

Please note: New list subscriptions now closed in preparation for transfer to OASIS.

• Follow-Ups:
  • Re: [OT] Re: Geoworks and their patent
    • From: Tyler Baker <tyler@i...>
  • Re: [OT] Re: Geoworks and their patent
    • From: Len Bullard <cbullard@h...>

• References:
  • [OT] Re: Geoworks and their patent
    • From: terje@i... (Terje Norderhaug)
  • Re: [OT] Re: Geoworks and their patent
    • From: David Megginson <david@m...>

• Prev by Date: Re: More Nonce About CORBA
• Next by Date: RE: Alternatives to the W3C (was Re: Alternatives to the W3C)
• Previous by thread: Re: [OT] Re: Geoworks and their patent
• Next by thread: Re: [OT] Re: Geoworks and their patent
• Index(es):
  • Date
  • Thread