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

Received on Thursday, 5 April 2007 21:44:17 UTC