1999.11.30 22:23 "libtiff 3.5.3 release.", by Michael L. Welles

1999.11.30 22:23 "libtiff 3.5.3 release.", by Michael L. Welles

Version 3.5.3 is now available at http://www.libtiff.org/ and ftp://ftp.onshore.com/.

The ChangeLog will follow, but please note the most important change: LZW compression has been removed.

Unisys has the patent on LZW compression and have been very active in their enforcement of late, demanding payments of $5000 or more from websites using unlicensed software to create GIF's. They could well do the same do persons using libtiff to create LZW compressed TIFF images.

From Burn All GIF's Day (http://burnallgifs.org/):

"The catch is that it appears to be difficult or impossible to get a Unisys license to use LZW in free software that complies with the Open Source Definition"

Unfortunatly, the compression removal means that saved image size has grown dramatically. Without a change in the TIFF spec to support another lossless compression format, this is unavoidable.

The library can use zip for lossless compression (thanks, Sam!), but as this is not part of the spec, TIFFs using zip compression may not work with other software.

We will be making a patch available that will contain the LZW compression code for users who have either obtained a license from Unisys or are willing to risk it.

LZW decompression is unchanged.

ChangeLog

Tue Nov 30 14:41:43 1999 Frank Warmerdam <warmerda@gdal.velocet.ca> ***3.5.3. release***

Tue Nov 30 14:15:32 EST 1999 Mike Welles <mike@onshore.com>

Tue Nov 30 09:20:16 1999 Frank Warmerdam <warmerda@gdal.velocet.ca>

Mon Nov 29 11:43:42 1999 Frank Warmerdam <warmerda@gdal.velocet.ca>

Sun Nov 28 20:36:18 1999 Frank Warmerdam <warmerda@gdal.velocet.ca>

199-11-28 Mike Welles <mike@onshore.com>

Sat Nov 27 16:49:21 1999 Frank Warmerdam <warmerda@gdal.velocet.ca>

Wed Nov 24 12:08:16 1999 Frank Warmerdam <warmerda@gdal.velocet.ca>

1999-11-22 Mike Welles <mike@onshore.com>

1999-09-29 Mike Welles <mike@onshore.com>

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M. L.  Welles                     mike@onShore.com
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