JPEG is short for the “Joint Photographic Experts Group”. It comprises experts nominated by national standards bodies and major companies to work to produce standards for continuous tone image coding.
The best known standard from JPEG is IS 10918-1, which is the first of a multi-part set of standards for still image compression. A basic version of the many features of this standard is what most people think of as JPEG – and this is where Forgent is claiming a monopoly right.
A committee of JPEG claims that it has examined Forgent’s patent and it believes that prior art exists in areas in which the patent claims to apply – i.e. the technology was in use before the patent existed.
Accordingly, JPEG is planning to launch a new web site to establish a “substantial repository of prior art.” The committee aims to organise the initiative before its next meeting in October 2002.
See: www.jpeg.org
