Graphics Interchange Format
<graphics, file format> /gif/, occasionally /jif/ (GIF, GIF 89A) A
standard for digitised images compressed with the LZW algorithm, defined in 1987
by CompuServe (CIS).
Graphics Interchange Format and GIF are service marks of CompuServe
Incorporated. This only affects use of GIF within Compuserve, and pass-through
licensing for software to access them, it doesn't affect anyone else's use of
GIF. It followed from a 1994 legal action by Unisys against CIS for violating
Unisys's LZW software patent. The CompuServe Vice President has stated that
"CompuServe is committed to keeping the GIF 89A specification as an open,
fully-supported, non-proprietary specification for the entire on-line community
including the World-Wide Web".
Filename extension: .gif.
File format.
GIF89a specification.
See also progressive coding, animated GIF.
(2000-09-12)
Nearby terms:
graphics adapter « graphics adaptor « graphics card
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Graphics Interchange Format » Graphics Interface
Format » Graphics Language Object System » graphic
workstation
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