FLIF (Free Lossless Image Format) is a novel lossless image format which outperforms PNG, lossless WebP, lossless BPG, lossless JPEG2000, and lossless JPEG XR in terms of compression ratio.
This looks like a good algorithm, but the encoder is licensed under LGPLv3 ...
How can I integrate a decoder + encoder inside FreeImage and release the whole under a FIPL license ?
In other words, the encoder is not really free like e.g. with a BSD license. The main problem with the licensing is the contamination. How can we produce a commercial software (encoder + decoder) without any licensing issue ? we cannot or I'm wrong, while we can using a FIPL.
Hervé
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Hi, Hervé. Thanks for your response, and sorry I didn't get back to you sooner. In order to comply with the LGPLv3 and continue to allow commercial use, perhaps we could build FLIF as a dynamic library, then FreeImage could dynamically load it. However, that introduces extra techincal complexity both for FreeImage developers (having to maintain a cross-platform dynamic library build system and dynamic library loading interface) and for developers of software that uses FreeImage (having to bundle and load multiple dynamic libraries instead of just one). And the dynamic loading requirement would mean this functionality wouldn't be available on iOS and possibly other platforms FreeImage support. So I understand if you'd prefer not to introduce those complexities and limitations.
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Hi Steve,
This looks like a good algorithm, but the encoder is licensed under LGPLv3 ...
How can I integrate a decoder + encoder inside FreeImage and release the whole under a FIPL license ?
In other words, the encoder is not really free like e.g. with a BSD license. The main problem with the licensing is the contamination. How can we produce a commercial software (encoder + decoder) without any licensing issue ? we cannot or I'm wrong, while we can using a FIPL.
Hervé
Hi, Hervé. Thanks for your response, and sorry I didn't get back to you sooner. In order to comply with the LGPLv3 and continue to allow commercial use, perhaps we could build FLIF as a dynamic library, then FreeImage could dynamically load it. However, that introduces extra techincal complexity both for FreeImage developers (having to maintain a cross-platform dynamic library build system and dynamic library loading interface) and for developers of software that uses FreeImage (having to bundle and load multiple dynamic libraries instead of just one). And the dynamic loading requirement would mean this functionality wouldn't be available on iOS and possibly other platforms FreeImage support. So I understand if you'd prefer not to introduce those complexities and limitations.