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www/philosophy gif.html
From: |
Richard M. Stallman |
Subject: |
www/philosophy gif.html |
Date: |
Fri, 10 May 2013 12:39:49 +0000 |
CVSROOT: /web/www
Module name: www
Changes by: Richard M. Stallman <rms> 13/05/10 12:39:49
Modified files:
philosophy : gif.html
Log message:
Say that we don't know whether animated GIFs are safe.
Clarify prefatory note.
Link to limit-patent-effect.html.
Don't say "software patent".
CVSWeb URLs:
http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewcvs/www/philosophy/gif.html?cvsroot=www&r1=1.56&r2=1.57
Patches:
Index: gif.html
===================================================================
RCS file: /web/www/www/philosophy/gif.html,v
retrieving revision 1.56
retrieving revision 1.57
diff -u -b -r1.56 -r1.57
--- gif.html 23 Mar 2013 22:17:34 -0000 1.56
+++ gif.html 10 May 2013 12:39:46 -0000 1.57
@@ -7,13 +7,14 @@
<h2>Why There Are No GIF Files on GNU Web Pages</h2>
<p>
-<strong>While this story is a historical
-illustration of the danger of software patents, these
-particular patents are now no longer a concern (see
-<a href="#venuenote">footnote</a> below). For details of our web site
-<a href="/server/fsf-html-style-sheet.html#UseofGraphics">policies
-regarding GIFs</a>, see our <a href="/server/standards/">web
-guidelines</a>.</strong>
+<blockquote>There is no special patent threat to GIF format nowadays
+as far as we know; <a href="#venuenote">the patents that were used to
+attack GIF have expired</a>. Nonetheless, this article will remain
+pertinent as long as programs can be forbidden by patents, since the
+same sorts of things could happen in any area of computing. See
+<a href="/server/fsf-html-style-sheet.html#UseofGraphics"> our web
+site policies regarding GIFs</a>, and
+our <a href="/server/standards/">web guidelines</a>.</blockquote>
</p>
<p>
@@ -156,10 +157,11 @@
</p>
<p>
-A further issue is that the LZW patents—and
-software patents in general—are an offense against the freedom
-of programmers generally, and all programmers need to work together
-against software patents.
+A further issue is that the LZW patents—and computational idea
+patents in general—are an offense against the freedom of
+programmers generally, and all programmers need to work together
+to <a href="/philosophy/limit-patent-effect.html">protect
+software from patents.</a>
</p>
<p>
@@ -230,7 +232,14 @@
2004 and in Canada it expired on 7 July 2004. The U.S. IBM patent
expired 11 August 2006. The Software Freedom Law Center says that
after 1 October 2006, there will be no significant patent claims
-interfering with employment of the GIF format.</p>
+interfering with the use of static GIFs.</p>
+
+<p>Animated GIFs are a different story. We do not know what patents
+might cover them. However, we have not heard reports of threats
+against use of animated GIFs. Any software can be threatened by
+patents, but we have no reason to consider animated GIFs to be in
+particular danger — no particular reason to shun them.</p>
+
</div><!-- for id="content", starts in the include above -->
<!--#include virtual="/server/footer.html" -->
<div id="footer">
@@ -269,7 +278,7 @@
<p>Updated:
<!-- timestamp start -->
-$Date: 2013/03/23 22:17:34 $
+$Date: 2013/05/10 12:39:46 $
<!-- timestamp end -->
</p>
</div>
- www/philosophy gif.html,
Richard M. Stallman <=