Conditions of use 

TGIFImage is Copyright © 1997-99 Anders Melander. All rights reserved.
Please see copyright.txt for additional copyrights.

Before proceeding with the installation and/or use of this software, carefully read the following terms and conditions of this license agreement and limited warranty (The License).

By installing or using this software you indicate your acceptance of this License. If you do not accept or agree with these terms, you may not install or use this software!

   
  License  
This software, including documentation, source code, object code and/or additional materials (TGIFImage) is owned by Anders Melander (the Author).
This License does not provide you with title or ownership of TGIFImage, but only a right of limited use as outlined in this License agreement. The Author hereby grant you a non-exclusive, royalty free license to use TGIFImage as set forth below:
  - integrate TGIFImage with your Applications, subject to the redistribution terms below.
- modify or adapt TGIFImage in whole or in part for the development of Applications based on TGIFImage.
- use portions of the TGIFImage source code or TGIFImage Demo Programs in your own products.
 
  Redistribution rights  
You are granted a non-exclusive, royalty-free right to reproduce and redistribute executable files created using TGIFImage (the Executable Code) in conjunction with software products that you develop and/or market (the Applications).
 
  Restrictions  
Without the expressed, written consent of the Author, you may NOT:
  - distribute modified versions of TGIFImage, in whole or in part.
- rent or lease TGIFImage.
- sell any portion of TGIFImage on its own, without integrating it into your Applications as Executable Code.
- bundle TGIFImage with commercial development libraries.
- Charge for the value TGIFImage adds to your Applications.
 
  Limited warranty  
There is no warranty or other guarantee of fitness for this software, it is provided solely "as is". Bug reports or fixes may be sent to the Author, who may or may not act on them as he desires.
 
  LZW license  
GIF (and thus TGIFImage) uses an adaption of the LZW compression algorithm for image compression. The LZW algorithm is patented by UNISYS. Unfortunately UNISYS requires royalty payment for all software that uses the LZW algorithm.

To avoid the use of the LZW algorithm for writing GIFs, TGIFImage can write GIFs using a LZW compatible RLE compression method. See the TGIFImage.Compression property for more information. There are conflicting opinions on whether a LZW license is required to read GIFs. Some patent lawyers are of the opinion that the LZW patent does not cover LZW decoders, but others disagree. If this matters to you, you should contact your own lawyer.
For information regarding UNISYS' view on the use of LZW in commercial software, please read the License Information on GIF and Other LZW-based Technologies. The UNISYS patent on the LZW algorithm may or may not apply to you depending on the laws of your country. Personally I have less than warm feelings for Unisys and their patent and I don't care if you have a license or not.

The LZW patent expires in 2004.

 
  Credit of work  
If you redistribute TGIFImage in binary form (i.e. as a library or linked into an application), the accompanying documentation (e.g. readme file, help file or about-box) should state that This software is based, in part, on the work of Anders Melander or words to that effect.

 

Even though TGIFImage is freeware, it happens occasionally that people insist on paying me for it anyway. Although I appreciate this gesture, I still prefer to keep TGIFImage free as a bird.
However, if you should feel an irresistible urge to ease your conscience and improve your karma, I suggest that you either spend what ever you think TGIFImage is worth to you on a charity of your own choice or buy me a book (anything goes).
If you go for the book, my address is:
Anders Melander
Finsensvej 79, 2tv.
DK-2000 Frederiksberg
Denmark

 


Copyright © 1999 Anders Melander. All rights reserved.