Re: [APML] Jpeg standards

[Rob Miracle <rwm@photo-miracles.com>]

At 10:27 PM 7/24/2002 -0500, you wrote:
>This is all very reminicent (sp?) of the big fuss about 10 years ago when
>Compuserve started rattling their sword about the the GIF format.

Actually it was Unisys, who ended up with the patent to LZW (I think) 
compression used in GIF's.   Compuserve built the GIF format using LZW 
compression whose patent at the time was held by Sperry (I think, its been 
a while) where Lemple, Zev and Walsh worked (the creators if the 
technique).   When Unisys bought Sperry (again, I think it was Sperry), 
they got the patent.   When their financial woes hit, they started to 
enforce their patent on software and hardware that created/displayed GIFs 
(i.e. had the code that did it.).   This was shortly after GIF was becoming 
the file format of choice on the web.    They looked to make some big money 
from Adobe, JASC, Microsoft, etc.   Heck this web thing was spreading like 
wildfire, browsers and such were popping up like dandelions and Unisys saw 
a way to help its bottom line.

>GIF didn't dissapear nor was anyone sued for using it online.

No individuals were sued for using GIF, but believe me many "Pay Up" 
letters went to the companies producing the software and they had to or 
they would get sued.   Unisys may have only went after software that 
created GIFs while letting dispay of GIFs alone.

>The JPG format
>was developed in part, and gained quick popularity, as a reaction to the
>stink about GIF.  If memory serves, the generic JPG format is public domain
>anyway.

JPEG was developed before the Unisys stink because GIF wasn't good enough 
for photos.   The RLE and LZW compressions used in GIF work great of art, 
but stink for photos.   A GIF of a photo is usually considerably larger 
than an equivalent JPEG while the JPEG retains 24 bits of color information 
as opposed to GIF's 8 bit color.

JPEG is the product of the Joint Pictures Expert Group, a collection of 
people from various companies who built a standard using the ISO standards 
process.   The JPEG process itself is a public standard, however, some of 
the math that makes JPEG possible is patented methods that belong 
specifically to companies.    When the JPEG organization formed the format, 
the scientists who donated their patented routines to the format did so 
probably with their companies blessings, but they didn't pursue written 
license agreements and such.

Now one of those companies have been acquired and that company is looking 
to cash in on a patent they assimilated.

The JPEG committee is working on the new JPEG 2000 standard.   Again, there 
are patented algorithms involved however the JPEG committee is going to 
secure lengthy licenses to assure this garbage doesn't happen again.

JPEG from the user standpoint won't change nor will you be 
affected.   Software developers however will have to play a royalty/license 
fee which will be passed on but it will be minimal.

The folks that get really screwed are those who make public domain 
software, such as the Unix graphics libraries frequently used on Linux and 
FreeBSD systems, support PHP and other things.   That developer dropped GIF 
support because he wasn't going to pay the Unisys extortion on something he 
was giving away and had given away millions of copies.    JPEG will likely 
exit from that library soon (a real tragedy).    I believe there is enough 
support that a level headed judge would throw out a lawsuit saying the 
companies who originally contributed to the JPEG committee donated the code 
to the public domain.    JPEG went though the ISO standardization 
process.   GIF did not, CompuServe just started using it.   It was much 
easier for Unisys to enforce the patent.

Thanks,
Rob
--
Rob Miracle
Photographic Miracles
203 Carpenter Brook Dr.
Apex, NC 27502
http://www.photo-miracles.com


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