Licensed file formats

[curiou...@yahoo.com]

Hi,

I would like to write & sell commercial Windows applications, but
first I need to know what file formats requires a license before even
deciding what software to focus on; e.g., graphics, video, etc. Does
anyone know of a book or webpage that goes over file formats such as
mpeg that require license? I know long ago there used to be legal
issues with photo software using .gif format where the software
company had to pay a licensing fee, but I believe .gif is now legal to
use. I believe formats such as jbig and mpeg-2 require a license.

For most companies such licensing is probably no big deal, but for the
small guy such as myself it could be out of the question, initially.

Thanks for the help,
Anon