[License of kernel components] linux-2.x.y/Documentation/logo.GIF should be logo.PNG?

[License of kernel components] linux-2.x.y/Documentation/logo.GIF should be logo.PNG?

[xan2]

Hi,

I believe that the tux logo located at
linux-2.6.0/Documentation/logo.gif is the image that appears on the
boot of the system if framebuffer is enabled, isn't it?

In this cas, and also if it's only for documentation purpose, I think
that we could change the propietary (and I think patented) format of
this logo (gif) to anyone that were free (for example like PNG format
[that has GPL licensed]).

I don't know to who concern this change. I don't know if Larry Ewing
have to change the logo format before we can include it in the
Documentation directory of the kernel, or if we can change the format
to PNG directly (without to ask for this change to Larry).

This is not clear, and we have to comment this intention to Larry
because in this web page (http://www.isc.tamu.edu/~lewing/linux/)
there is the following text: "Permission to use and/or modify this
image is granted provided you acknowledge me lewing@isc.tamu.edu and
The GIMP if someone asks." and there is no mention about the license
of this tux logo.

For the other hand, I don't know if the kernel is capable for using
PNG images (or other free formats) rather than GIF images at boot
time. I don't know if it has this functionality. So I ask you this.


Anyway, I think that we could migrate the logo.gif in Documentation
directoy to logo.png, because with this small things is how the free
software grows and we don't depend anymore to propietary format.


Much regards,
Xan.

PS: Sorry for using this guru discusion group but I know only this way
for arriving you this question.

Re: [License of kernel components] linux-2.x.y/Documentation/logo.GIF should be logo.PNG?

[Erik Mouw]

On Tue, Dec 23, 2003 at 04:20:07PM +0100, xan2@ono.com wrote:
> I believe that the tux logo located at
> linux-2.6.0/Documentation/logo.gif is the image that appears on the
> boot of the system if framebuffer is enabled, isn't it?
> 
> In this cas, and also if it's only for documentation purpose, I think
> that we could change the propietary (and I think patented) format of
> this logo (gif) to anyone that were free (for example like PNG format
> [that has GPL licensed]).

AFAIK the GIF patent (or rather: the LZW patent) expired a year ago, so
I don't think it's an issue anymore.


Erik

-- 
+-- Erik Mouw -- www.harddisk-recovery.com -- +31 70 370 12 90 --
| Lab address: Delftechpark 26, 2628 XH, Delft, The Netherlands

Re: [License of kernel components] linux-2.x.y/Documentation/logo.GIF should be logo.PNG?

[Gene Heskett]

On Tuesday 23 December 2003 10:20, xan2@ono.com wrote:
>Hi,
>
>I believe that the tux logo located at
>linux-2.6.0/Documentation/logo.gif is the image that appears on the
>boot of the system if framebuffer is enabled, isn't it?
>
>In this cas, and also if it's only for documentation purpose, I
> think that we could change the propietary (and I think patented)
> format of this logo (gif) to anyone that were free (for example
> like PNG format [that has GPL licensed]).

I don't think GIF was ever "proprietary", but the l-z-w compression 
used was patented.  The patent expired earlier this year.  So gif is 
back.

-- 
Cheers, Gene
AMD K6-III@500mhz 320M
Athlon1600XP@1400mhz  512M
99.22% setiathome rank, not too shabby for a WV hillbilly
Yahoo.com attornies please note, additions to this message
by Gene Heskett are:
Copyright 2003 by Maurice Eugene Heskett, all rights reserved.

Re: [License of kernel components] linux-2.x.y/Documentation/logo.GIF should be logo.PNG?

[Erik Andersen]

On Tue Dec 23, 2003 at 12:07:53PM -0500, Gene Heskett wrote:
> I don't think GIF was ever "proprietary", but the l-z-w compression 
> used was patented.  The patent expired earlier this year.  So gif is 
> back.

The U.S. LZW patent expired June 20, 2003.  The Canadian LZW
patent expiref July 7, 2004.  The LZW patents in the United
Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy however are still active, and
will expire June 18, 2004.  The Japanese LZW patent will expire
on June 20, 2004. 

I vote for keeping the status quo for another 4 months....

 -Erik

--
Erik B. Andersen             http://codepoet-consulting.com/
--This message was written using 73% post-consumer electrons--

Re: [License of kernel components] linux-2.x.y/Documentation/logo.GIF should be logo.PNG?

[Ian Hastie]

On Tuesday 23 Dec 2003 19:38, Erik Andersen wrote:
>The LZW patents in the United
> Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy however are still active, and
> will expire June 18, 2004.

Are these patents enforceable in under current law?  I may well have the wrong 
idea here, but I thought that the recent controversial EU legislation was 
about to enabling this sort of patent.

-- 
Ian.

Re: [License of kernel components] linux-2.x.y/Documentation/logo.GIF should be logo.PNG?

[Edesio Costa e Silva]

IIRC only the *enconding* phase of LZW was patented. So we don't have a
problem here.

Edésio

On Tue, Dec 23, 2003 at 08:45:28PM +0000, Ian Hastie wrote:
> On Tuesday 23 Dec 2003 19:38, Erik Andersen wrote:
> >The LZW patents in the United
> > Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy however are still active, and
> > will expire June 18, 2004.
> 
> Are these patents enforceable in under current law?  I may well have the wrong 
> idea here, but I thought that the recent controversial EU legislation was 
> about to enabling this sort of patent.
> 
> -- 
> Ian.

Re: Re: [License of kernel components] linux-2.x.y/Documentation/logo.GIF should be logo.PNG?

[xan2]

Erik Andersen <andersen@codepoet.org>
>>23th, 2003 8:38 pm
>>Re: [License of kernel components] linux-2.x.y/Documentation/logo.GIF
should be logo.PNG?
> [...]
> The U.S. LZW patent expired June 20, 2003.  The Canadian LZW
> patent expiref July 7, 2004.  The LZW patents in the United
> Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy however are still active, and
> will expire June 18, 2004.  The Japanese LZW patent will expire
> on June 20, 2004. 
> 

For this reason, because in many countries the patent is not expired and
that kernel is not _only_ for people of U.S., I think that we have to
change to PNG format rather than gif.

I vote for pass to PNG format as fast as we can.

> I vote for keeping the status quo for another 4 months....

Why not consider to make a public votation (with public point of views
of the kernel hackers about it; obviously, vote is secret) about this?

Regards,
Xan.

Re: [License of kernel components] linux-2.x.y/Documentation/logo.GIF should be logo.PNG?

[Paulo Marques]

xan2@ono.com wrote:
 > ...

> 
> For this reason, because in many countries the patent is not expired and
> that kernel is not _only_ for people of U.S., I think that we have to
> change to PNG format rather than gif.
> 

> I vote for pass to PNG format as fast as we can.

You're not *listening*: only the encoding of the gif is encumbered by patents. 
The "decoding" of the gif is *not*.

So only the original author of the gif had to worry about using a software that 
had a license to generate GIF's (like photoshop, etc.). To use/decode the GIF 
there are no restrictions. AFAIK, there are absolutely no patent infrigments in 
distributing the logo.gif file.

Now that I've said this, I must say that I would also prefer a completely 
open-source format like PNG to be used :)

-- 
Paulo Marques - www.grupopie.com

"In a world without walls and fences who needs windows and gates?"