GIF format in PhotoPaint

[Ulf Moehring]

Hello,

I downloaded the free Corel PhotoPaint 9 and I thought I could work with it
better than with any other product I tried before just until I attempted to
save my picture as a GIF. The problem is that I didn't see GIF in the
supported file extensions list - has anybody got an idea why?

Thanks...Ulf

[Erik Wessman]

This is a legal issue, I think. Many new editions of long-standing
graphics programs (including GIMP) no longer support GIF exports because
some lawyers (for Unisys, I think) thought the company could do better
charging royalties on a program that was previously free rather than
developing new products. And the silly patent office granted them
exclusive rights to a mathematical algorithm (just like mpeg encoders
and the Fraunhofer licensing business that has plagued bladeenc).

I guess companies are now filled with vacant minds who are unable to
generate revenue from new ideas, or at least their top level management
seem not to have the confidence that they can. Very sad.

[Alan Shutko]

"Ulf Moehring" <moeh...@hempseed.com> writes:

> The problem is that I didn't see GIF in the supported file
> extensions list - has anybody got an idea why?

I don't have PP loaded right now, but you may check to ensure you have
an indexed color file, since GIF is an indexed format. I know I've
used PP for GIFs in the past, when I was comparing compression between
programs....

--
Alan Shutko <a...@acm.org> - In a variety of flavors!
Computer programmers never die, they just get lost in the processing.

[Erik Wessman]

Alan/Ulf:

Indeed, the free download copy of PhotoPaint that I have does support
GIF exports - but I got it within the first few days that it was
available. Newer versions of the GIMP that I have do not support GIF
exports (but support GIF imports) whereas earlier versions supported
both imports and exports. The GIF restriction may just be in the US?

Here is a link to the legal issue:
http://lpf.ai.mit.edu/Patents/Gif/Gif.html

Erik