Mark Gordon wrote:
> 
> "Jerome M. BERGER" wrote:
> 
> >         I may be wrong, but I believe the chronology is as follows:
> > 1. the LZ algorythm was published
> 
> In point of fact, several LZ algorithms were published, but yes.
> 
	Well, there was the original and then several variants (including the
LZ77 of gzip fame), I don't know exactly where LZW fits in with the
other variants...

> > 2. Unisys developped some changes to this algorithm
> 
> One guy at a company that is now part of Unisys made some improvements.
>
	That amounts to the same thing legally, I think
 
> >         Point 5 is the reason why I think such a patent becomes unenforceable
> > in France (besides the problem with patenting an algorithm the exact
> > status of which I don't know)
> 
> It's similar to the legal notion of need to defend trademarks, then?
> 
	Well, I'm not a lawyer, but I think so, yes

> 
> The argument may be that software that implements (reads or writes) LWZ
> compression is a software simulation of the hardware it was originally
> designed for.  Whether that holds water in France, I have no idea.
>
	Neither do I

> Maybe it will all end if some enlightened individual patents
> patenting...
> 
	YEAH! Anybody here who's in a country where you can do that illing to
try it? :)

		Jerome
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