Jpeg compression patent claimed by Forgent.

if patents are not defended each year right should be lost

[Mark_A]

I cant be the only one that is getting a little irritated with finding that I have been introduced to something by various companies under the impression that it is free only to find out only *years* later that someone is claiming millions because they apparently own it.

Anyone remember the lawsuits for the Hyperlink - British company taking action I think was part of the post office.

I would prefer that courts took the view that if the patent was not vigorously defended *every year*, the owners lost all rights to it.

Anyone up to develp a royalty free "Open Source" image compression algo?

First seen at:
[dpreview.com...]

Also at:
[theregister.co.uk...]

Original patent at:
[patft.uspto.gov...]

Mark

[Mark_A]

There is a 700 post discussion on this at slashdot where one poster made me laugh really loud...

Poster wrote that he is to send his complete p0rnography collection back to forgent as it is almost 100% jpeg and as such is obviously their property.

Can you imagine the fuss that might happen at that company if people started to do this kind of thing :-)

Also found interesting site relating to the earlier attempt to enforce gif patents long after they were in widespread public use... site at
[burnallgifs.org...]