Just saw this on Slashdot: "Forgent Networks (www.forgentnetworks.com) has announced that it owns the software patent on JPEG compression technology [http://ir.forgent.com/ireye/ir_site.zhtml?ticker=FORG&script=410&layout=-6&item_id=314044], and has stated that it is "in contact" with computer, software, camera, and other digital imaging product manufacturers regarding licensing terms." The write of that particular blurb also said, "This ambush of the digitial imaging industry will probably stand as the worst public relations nightmare a company can inflict upon itself." which is probably right..
Here are one of the better gems from the comment section: "Attached is some of my porn collection. I am returning it to your company because I inadvertantly used your patented JPEG format"!
Apparently the GIF patent that Unisys tried (and failed?) with has also been used by Compuserve, and is also patented by IBM: "The IBM patent application was filed three weeks before that of Unisys, but the US patent office apparently failed to recognize that they covered the same algorithm. (The IBM patent is more general, but its claim 7 is said to be exactly LZW.)" (from The GIF Controversy: A Software Developer's Perspective at http://cloanto.com/users/mcb/19950127giflzw.html)
Jim
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