Will the gif format become patent free ...

from WinCustomize Forums
Looks like the patent for the compression algorithm in gifs may expire without renewal.
Read this page
http://msn.com.com/2100-1104_2-1014236.html?type=pt
4,033 views 12 replies
Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top
WHat does this mean exactly? That we cant use GIFs anymore? I hope not because they are awesome. If we had photoshop would we be unable to make gifs? Could someone buy that patent?

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Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top
/me to CerebroJD

It means that companies that make software that can produce GIF images will no longer have to pay royalties to AOL/Time Warner/CompuServe to include that code in their programs.

It will have absolutely NO effect on you at all.
Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top
P.S. PNG is better than GIF because it supports 256 levels of transparency, GIF only supports full ON or full OFF. PNG also supports millions of colors, GIF only supports 256.

That said, PNG's compression is fairly lousy. I can occasionally compress images more with PNG than with GIF or JPG, but usually it's the other way around.
Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Also, gifs can be animated... Whereas png and jpgs cannot...(Right?)
Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top
right yeah, png can't be animated... atleast not easy without script... Personaly I prefer png too, makes you get rid of all the ugly edges
Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Actaully, there is .mng (multi-image network graphic) which is the animated counterpart to .png (portable network graphic)
Reply #8 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Can I make a .mng with Photoshop or anything like that?
Reply #9 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Um, I think you can make it with Adobe Image Ready (the program that ships free with Photoshop)
Reply #10 from WinCustomize Forums Top
k thanks. Just needed a direction to go in to make them. THey're compatable with html and stuff too then I assume. I could put them in a web page?
Reply #11 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Images aren't related to html, the question is whether or not the popular browsers support that image format.

Unfortunately for you, few browser support MNG (and mozilla just ditched native MNG support). If you want to use MNG animations you must include a link where people can get the MNG plugin for both IE and Mozilla based browsers (like Netscape). Another drawback to MNG is enormous filesizes compared to GIF and Flash animations.

Just about every browser supports GIF and JPG
Most modern browsers support PNG (IE 5+, Opera, Mozilla, Netscape 6,7+, Firebird, Safari, etc.)

For animations, you're best off going with either GIF 89a or Flash.
Reply #12 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Thanks for the input!