aa2bacaeaecc705c69ed7f8d35e15e5677905c82 max Tue May 27 04:23:04 2014 -0700 happened to stumble over this: patent notice not necessary anymore since2004. diff --git src/lib/README src/lib/README index bb63a11..205ac20 100644 --- src/lib/README +++ src/lib/README @@ -1,22 +1,13 @@ This directory contains general purpose, web oriented, and computational biology oriented modules, as well as some less general stuff associated with the Intronerator web site. Initially this library was created by Jim Kent from 1999 to 2001. Since then other programmers have also added to it. Jim continues to make substantial contributions. With the exception of the gifcomp.c module, all modules here are free for all use - public, private, or commercial. The gifcomp.c module contains code originally distributed by CompuServe under a similar -"free for all" license. However this uses the LZW -patented by UniSys, which UniSys started enforcing -several years after CompuServe released this module. -The last I heard UniSys did not require a license -for non-commercial purposes, but did require a -license for commercial purposes. This may change -in the future, though the patent is nearing it's -expiration date in any case. Commercial users -are advised to either get a license for LZW, or -to switch from GIF to PNG. +"free for all" license and the Unisys LZW patent expired in 2003.