[WEB4LIB] GIFs, Unisys, and Greed

[Andrew Mutch]

We use an application called Map Objects by ESRI as part of our web-based GIS
system at the Towship.  We had to pay a licensing fee to Unisys before ESRI
would provide us with the code to enable MO to create GIF images [it creates
"snapshots" of the particular map being viewed and serves the image through our
web server.]  We didn't have much choice in the matter - pay the fee or suffer
with poor performance from bloated JPEG images.  On the other hand, I've made
many a GIF file in Photoshop and I don't recall being asked to pay extra for
that feature...
:)

Andrew Mutch
Library Systems Technician
Waterford Township Public Library
Waterford, MI

prestam at okstate.edu wrote:

> The Webmaster's Domain column by Lincoln Stein in the December 99 issue of
> WEBTechniques summarizes the position that Unisys has taken regarding GIFs.
> His column references a number of sites, including
>
> League for Programming Freedom
> http://lpf.ai.mit.edu/Patents/Gif/Gif.html
>
> Slashdot article (Aug 08, 99 article)
> http://slashdot.org/articles/99/08/31/0143246.shtml
>
> I have two questions for web4libbers:
>
> 1)  Has anyone been contacted by Unisys, questioning whether or not GIFs
> used on your Website are kosher?
>
> 2)  Is anyone out there (even remotely) considering coughing up a $5,000
> license fee to Unisys just to be on the safe side?
>
> Thanks.
>
> Anne Prestamo, Coordinator
> Digital Library Services
> Edmon Low Library
> Oklahoma State University
> prestam at okstate.edu