GraphicsMagick & LZW compression

The UNISYS patent on LZW compression will expire in the US on June 20.
It expires a year later in Canada, Japan, and several European
countries (see http://www.unisys.com/about__unisys/lzw/). I would very
much like to offer LZW-enabled binaries to GraphicsMagick users who
reside where the LZW patent has expired, or was never in effect.

It seems to me that if the LZW-enabled binaries are distributed from a
US site, and are clearly indicated to require a Unisys license for any
use in a country where the patent still applies, that we would not be
infringing on the Unisys patent.  Binaries without LZW support would
be offered for users who reside in a country where the patent is still
in effect, or want to offer mirror service from a site in an effected
country.

The technical means is not available to keep users from a protected
country from downloading LZW-enabled software from a site in a country
where the patent is not in effect.  In my opinion, if a user tranports
the binaries across a border (which is what an Internet download from
one country to another is) the user bears responsibility for importing
the software, and must observe the patent.

If anyone knows of a case where a court has upheld a different
viewpoint, and its decision was not overturned, I would like to hear
about the case.

Thanks,

Bob
======================================
Bob Friesenhahn
[email protected]
http://www.simplesystems.org/users/bfriesen



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