Xref: utzoo comp.graphics:12836 misc.legal:20319
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!ucsd!ucbvax!husc6!ukma!sean
From: sean@ms.uky.edu (Dan Chaney)
Newsgroups: comp.graphics,misc.legal
Subject: Re: GIF89a graphics format
Message-ID: <sean.650597168@s.ms.uky.edu>
Date: 14 Aug 90 01:26:08 GMT
References: <17177@ucsd.Edu>
Organization: The Leaning Tower of Patterson Office @ The Univ. of KY
Lines: 44

While Compuserve holds a valid copyright for their GIF standard, and their
terms for its redistribution are extremely lenient, it seems to be
accompanied by a "license" that almost certainly holds no water legally.

I'd be curious to see what any legal types have to say about it. What
happens if I implement GIF in a program, don't give them credit, but
don't copy or derive the GIF documentation? Can one prevent the use of
say a computer language or standard with a mere copyright?

----- Relevant part of document follows -----


|3. Licensing.

|The Graphics Interchange Format(c) is the copyright property of CompuServe
|Incorporated. Only CompuServe Incorporated is authorized to define, redefine,
|enhance, alter, modify or change in any way the definition of the format.

|CompuServe Incorporated hereby grants a limited, non-exclusive, royalty-free
|license for the use of the Graphics Interchange Format(sm) in computer
|software; computer software utilizing GIF(sm) must acknowledge ownership of the
|Graphics Interchange Format and its Service Mark by CompuServe Incorporated, in
|User and Technical Documentation. Computer software utilizing GIF, which is
|distributed or may be distributed without User or Technical Documentation must
|display to the screen or printer a message acknowledging ownership of the
|Graphics Interchange Format and the Service Mark by CompuServe Incorporated; in
|this case, the acknowledgement may be displayed in an opening screen or leading
|banner, or a closing screen or trailing banner. A message such as the following
|may be used:

|      "The Graphics Interchange Format(c) is the Copyright property of
|      CompuServe Incorporated. GIF(sm) is a Service Mark property of
|      CompuServe Incorporated."

|For further information, please contact :

|      CompuServe Incorporated
|      Graphics Technology Department
|      5000 Arlington Center Boulevard
|      Columbus, Ohio  43220
|      U. S. A.

-- 
***  Sean Casey          sean@ms.uky.edu, sean@ukma.bitnet, ukma!sean