On Thu, 2003-03-06 at 18:52, Drew Scott Daniels wrote: > I'm cc'ing debian-legal for the legal part of this discussion. > > LZW was a patented algorithm which was included in Unix's compress and > some versions of the gif file format. > > There may not be reason to exclude lzw and related code as the LZW > patent is "running out". > http://lists.debian.org/debian-legal/2002/debian-legal-200211/msg00160.html > I hope that this will be discussed further on debian-legal. I also am > curious as to whether Unisys can collect royalties after their patent runs > out. I suspect this may be illegal, or at least immoral. I also wonder > about whether patent laws can be used from one country on another. > Regardless, I don't think it's too important as long as we make sure > Debian doesn't do anything illegal.
35 USC 286 says that patent holders can go after infringers for *six years* after the patent expires. Of course, there's no infringement possible after the patent exprires (excluding certain bizarre rules surrounding bioequivalent generic drugs). -- -Dave Turner Stalk Me: 617 441 0668 "On matters of style, swim with the current, on matters of principle, stand like a rock." -Thomas Jefferson
