Z:gnu-www-ja-savingeurope--873e40-Compuserve developed =3Cabbr tit/en

Compuserve developed  GIF format for images, then was stunned when Unisys threatened to sue them and everyone else who developed or ran software to produce GIF s. Unisys had obtained a patent on the LZW data compression algorithm, which is one part of generating GIF format, and refuses to permit free software to use LZW (2). As a result, any free software in the US that supports making true compressed GIF s is at risk of a lawsuit.