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Message-ID:	<4169AE11.7070606@cwilson.fastmail.fm>
Date:	Sun, 10 Oct 2004 17:48:01 -0400
From:	Charles Wilson <cygwin AT cwilson DOT fastmail DOT fm>
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To:	cygwin AT cygwin DOT com
Subject:	Patent question, libtiff, LZW -- Attn: Corinna

I swore off LZW for another two years:
    http://www.cygwin.com/ml/cygwin/2004-07/msg00138.html
given that IBM has a patent on LZW which they are using in their fight 
with SCO (e.g. they do not appear ready to renounce the patent).

However, IBM's patent, I now learn, is on an algorithm called LZMW, not 
the same LZW used in libtiff.  And all of Unisys' LZW patents are dead.

Hence, according to this discussion by the libtiff developers:
   http://www.asmail.be/msg0054702569.html
it appears that as of 2004-07-24 the LZW code was put back into the 
mainline libtiff development tree (instead of kept separate).  Further, 
both ImageMagick and GD are re-enabling LZW code.

Even debian-legal (Debian!!) has no problem merging LZW code back:
http://lists.debian.org/debian-legal/2004/07/msg00091.html

So, to release the latest version of libtiff (3.7.0beta2) I need to do 
one of the following:
   (1) get permission from Red Hat (it's their server, after all) to 
publish an LZW-enabled libtiff
   (2) rip the LZW stuff back out

I'd prefer (1).  Corinna?

--
Chuck



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