RE: GIF was -- Mandated Video Format (was: Microsoft has now joined the HTML Working Group)

Chris Wilson wrote:
 
>GIF is (to my knowledge) universally supported, even though it has IP constraints.

IANAL, also, but I think the LZW patent underlying GIF may have expired  (I think they're only good for twenty years though Uruguay-GATT TRIPPS and WIPO all seem to make us all need to hire IAAL's).

If one reads down a ways at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GIF, there is a paragraph, which, if true, would support this suspicion. Given differing national treatments of patent law, it might provide an easy way for some third world country to make itself financially soluble. 
 
David