PUBPAT challenges JPEG patent

THE Public Patent Foundation (PUBPAT) has asked the United States Patent and Trademark Office to revoke Forgent Networks licence on JPEG technology.

The outfit says that it has evidence that the technology was around long before Compression Labs filed its patent. Forgent acquired Compression Labs in 1997 and began demanding cash from dozens of companies that offer the public products or services relating to electronic image creation or distribution.

PUBPAT says that Forgent is using the patent No. 4,698,672 to harass anyone that uses the JPG format and is causing substantial public harm by threatening this international standard.

In fact most of the company business seems to be based on the assertion of its patent, PUBPAT says.

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