Company calls on JPEG2000 supporters to help 'save' standard

By Steve Malone

Posted on 3 Nov 2004 at 10:47

Image processing software developer, ER Mapper, is turning to the JPEG2000 user community in its bid to fight off another legal challenge from Lizardtech, a company which claims the company's image compression technology infringes its patents.

Lizardtech claims that ERM infringes US patent #5,710,835. This technology was originally developed by Los Alamos National Laboratories, and licensed subsequently licenced by Lizardtech. In 1999, Lizardtech sued ER Mapper for patent infringement as a test case. It subsequently lost the case when it finally came to court this year, but it is now looking to lodge an appeal.

At issue is the way in which programs compress and create JPEG2000 image files. The patent defines a method to seamlessly compress large images by dividing images into tiles and adding back edges between tiles to ensure that compression is seamless. The ISO JPEG2000 standard does not attempt to correct such tile seam artefacts. In March 2004 Chief Judge John Coughenour ruled that allowing Lizardtech's suit would extend the scope of the patent too far.

Lizardtech, says its beef is with ER Mapper and not with JPEG2000. On its site it says 'JPEG 2000 is a file format specification, not a technology'. However, ERM says that Lizardtech is being 'disingenuous' and that format and implementation are closely linked. ERM says that Lizardtech is actually seeking to extend the patent to cover the ISO standard JPEG2000 and other wavelet imagery formats. Certainly, if it wins the appeal, Lizardtech will be expected to look closely at the way other companies implement compression of JPEG2000 files.

ERM is now asking 'supporters' of the JPEG2000 standard to consider asking the US Federal Appeals Court for permission to file a 'friends of the court' brief on ER Mapper's behalf.