update for expired patents

git-svn-id: http://svn.code.sf.net/p/netpbm/code/trunk@1847 9d0c8265-081b-0410-96cb-a4ca84ce46f8

1 files changed, 31 insertions, 31 deletions

diff --git a/doc/COPYRIGHT.PATENT b/doc/COPYRIGHT.PATENT
index fe3c242a..141e43ac 100644
--- a/doc/COPYRIGHT.PATENT
+++ b/doc/COPYRIGHT.PATENT
@@ -62,37 +62,12 @@ applied to things you implement in computer programs.  This is one of
 the Free Software Foundation's causes.  See 
 <http://www.gnu.org/philosophy.html#laws>.
 
+The Jbigtopnm and Pnmtojbig programs use arithmetic coding patents and
+other patents covering various aspects of the "front end."
 
-Unisys owns patents on LZW compression, which is used by Ppmtogif, and
-maybe on LZW decompression, which is used by Giftopnm.  IBM also owns
-a patent that may cover the GIF tools.  Unisys offers a license of the
-patent for trivial use for $5000.  Its U.S. patent (Number 4,558,302)
-EXPIRED June 20, 2003.  In most of Europe, the patent expires June 18,
-2004.  In Japan, it's June 20, 2004 and in Canada, July 7, 2004.
-IBM's U.S. patent expirs August 11, 2006.
-
-Neither company has ever enforced the patent against trivial users of
-it.  <http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-1713278.html> is an article
-dated April 18, 2000 on the issue.
-http://www.unisys.com/about__unisys/lzw/> is Unisys' view of the
-matter.  For information from another perspective, see
-<http://burnallgifs.org>.
-
-The following Netpbm components may be restricted by these patents:
-Ppmtogif, Giftopnm.
-
-A good substitute for GIF if the patents are a problem is PNG (see
-pngtopnm, pnmtopng), which was developed with a primary purpose of not
-using any patented technology.
-
-You can also use the -nolzw option on ppmtogif to avoid using the LZW
-patent.  The images so generated are larger than traditional
-LZW-compressed GIFs, but any GIF decoder can decode them just the
-same.
-
-I repeat: The Unisys U.S. patent has expired.  It is not an issue
-for any future use of Netpbm.
 
+JPEG patents
+------------
 
 The Pnmtojpeg and possibly Jpegtopnm programs in some cases may use
 the arithmetic coding patents owned by IBM, AT&T, and Mitsubishi.
@@ -119,7 +94,32 @@ bilevel (black and white) images.
 http://burnalljpegs.org contains information on this issue.
 
 
-The Jbigtopnm and Pnmtojbig programs use arithmetic coding patents and
-other patents covering various aspects of the "front end."
+Expired LZW patents
+-------------------
 
+Unisys owns patents on LZW compression, which is used by
+Ppmtogif, and maybe on LZW decompression, which is used by Giftopnm.  IBM also
+owns a patent that may cover the GIF tools.  Unisys offers a license of the
+patent for trivial use for $5000.  Its U.S. patent (Number 4,558,302) expired
+June 20, 2003.  In most of Europe, the patent expired June 18, 2004.  In
+Japan, it was June 20, 2004 and in Canada, July 7, 2004.  IBM's U.S. patent
+expired August 11, 2006.
 
+Neither company has ever enforced the patent against trivial users of
+it.  <http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-1713278.html> is an article
+dated April 18, 2000 on the issue.
+http://www.unisys.com/about__unisys/lzw/> is Unisys' view of the
+matter.  For information from another perspective, see
+<http://burnallgifs.org>.
+
+The following Netpbm components may be restricted by these patents:
+Ppmtogif, Giftopnm.
+
+A good substitute for GIF if the patents are a problem is PNG (see
+pngtopnm, pnmtopng), which was developed with a primary purpose of not
+using any patented technology.
+
+You can also use the -nolzw option on ppmtogif to avoid using the LZW
+patent.  The images so generated are larger than traditional
+LZW-compressed GIFs, but any GIF decoder can decode them just the
+same.