[IO-error]

Ok, here was my brainwave of thoughts about the fact that, due to lack of rights on patents, an animated .gif in Windows Fax/Picture Viewer is no longer allowed.
I learned through Google that they (MicroSoft don't own the license so, to avoid lawsuits, didn't bother to buy new licenses.
This makes it illegal for MicroSoft to have their windows license-holders to view an animated .gif-file in their picture viewer. (hence name; picture viewer)

But since it's "just" a patent issue, isn't it possible for Micro$oft to buy another company that just happens to have those licenses and thus allowing animated gifs to be animated again?

I was thinking I am right.
If they buy another company that has those licenses, they are then owners of those licenses and thus are allowed to use the rights that go with those licenses. And then they have the right to add support to the Windows® Fax/Picture Viewer for the animated gifs.


But I'd still like somebody to clarify this for me.
WILL MicroSoft add the support again, if they happened to buy such a company, or was the reason they dropped the license a different reason than saving a buck or two?

Greetz
IO-Error

Edited by IO-error, 09 June 2010 - 01:32 PM.

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Vista and Win 7 leave a lot to be desired for routine graphics editing. Irfanview id free, easy to use and powerful. Let it change your file associations and be done with Windows Pictures and Fax Viewer forever. You won't regret it.
Johanna

[Johanna]

Vista and Win 7 leave a lot to be desired for routine graphics editing. Irfanview id free, easy to use and powerful. Let it change your file associations and be done with Windows Pictures and Fax Viewer forever. You won't regret it.
Johanna

[IO-error]

Does IrfanView show an animated .gif instead of an array of individual frames?

[dsenette]

yes. basically anything but picture viewer can...

even when picture viewer had gif support it was still a crappy application