Original CompuServe announcement about GIF patent
Date: 04 Jan 95 14:51:09 EST
From: Tim Oren
Subject: GIF, UNISYS, and CompuServe
In 1987, CompuServe designed the Graphics Interchange Format (GIF)
specification for graphics files. The GIF specification incorporated
the Lempel-Zev-Welch (LZW) compression technology on which Unisys
Corporation was independently pursuing a patent filing. In early
1993, Unisys notified CompuServe of patent rights granted to LZW. At
that time, CompuServe began negotiating with Unisys to secure a
licensing agreement. This agreement was reached in mid-1994, and
CompuServe then initiated a process to secure a similar license that
would benefit its GIF developer community.
Following the agreement reached between CompuServe and Unisys,
CompuServe announced the Graphics Interchange Format (GIF) Developer
Agreement, shortly after its completion, on December 29, 1994. This
agreement is aimed at GIF developers who are developing programs and
shareware primarily for use in conjunction with CompuServe. The
service offers a license to these developers to use LZW technology in
programs written to the GIF specification.
CompuServe remains committed to keeping open the GIF 89a specification
both within CompuServe and in areas outside CompuServe. CompuServe
continues to strongly support the use of the GIF specification in the
entire online community including the Internet and World Wide Web.
This agreement will be transparent to end-users and will not result in
any charges for people using viewers or transmitting GIF images.
The agreement offers software and shareware developers who use the LZW
technology in their GIF programs protection under a software license
that CompuServe is authorized to grant under the agreement with
Unisys. Developers who choose to take advantage of this service would
acquire the rights to use the LZW technology in certain software and
shareware developed primarily for use in conjunction with CompuServe.
Developers who choose to participate in this agreement within the
implementation period will also benefit in that Unisys has agreed not
to pursue royalty claims for past use of the LZW technology in GIF.
The implementation period has been extended to January 31, 1995.
CompuServe has presented this new agreement as a service to its GIF
developer community. Cost to developers will be a $1.00 one-time
licensing fee and a royalty payment of 1.5 percent or $0.15, whichever
is greater, per registered copy of a program containing the LZW
technology. CompuServe will not profit from this service.
CompuServe encourages developers to work with Unisys directly if the
GIF Developer Agreement does not meet their needs. Unisys is
continuing to make the LZW technology available to any interested
parties under reasonable and non-discriminatory terms. Developers are
not required to register with CompuServe. Registering with CompuServe
is simply one option for addressing the Unisys LZW patent issue.
Developers may want to consider consulting with legal counsel.
CompuServe is committed to keeping the GIF 89A specification as an
open, fully-supported, non-proprietary specification for the entire
online community including the World Wide Web. Whether they choose to
register with CompuServe or not, developers are encouraged to continue
use the GIF specification within their products.
A copy of the GIF Developer Agreement is available in the Library section of
the CompuServe Graphics Support Forum (GO GRAPHSUP) and will shortly be
posted to CompuServes World Wide Web page (HTTP:\\WWW.COMPUSERVE.COM).
Developers who are not developing software primarily for use in conjunction
with CompuServe should contact Unisys directly at: Welch Patent Desk, Unisys
Corp., P.O. Box 500, Bluebell, PA 19424 Mailcode C SW 19.
Sincerely,
Tim Oren, CompuServe Vice President, Future Technology