o convert LivePicture/QTVR/Smoothmove/VRML-
  panoramas to and from IPIX-format.
 
o create true high-resolution IPIX-format panoramas
  having much higher quality than the two fisheye-images
  method used by IPIX-software.

o edit and improve existing IPIX-panoramas, like
  hiding the seams, inserting perspectively corrected
  text or other information.
 

On Thu, 08 Apr 1999 I received a letter from IPIX
attorney Paul Stevens requesting to close this page.
Although the accusations he made turned out to be wrong
(I did not use or publish any of their images, and
there is no such thing as a copyright on a file
format) IPIX insisted on keeping this page closed.

It has now become apparent what IPIX's problem really is.
As I see it, there is a loophole in IPIX's marketing
scheme of per-image charges. This is due to copyright
laws in most countries, which give all rights on an
IPIX-image to the multimedia author, including the
right to copy and change his work. This allows the user
to generate unlimited numbers of different images with
just one key, provided he knows how to change the image,
ie the details of the image format. This format was
partially described on this page. However, it is not
some secret invention of IPIX, but they use a public domain
format, which is openly documented by the US-company
"C-Cube Microsystems".

They must be quite nervous by now, judging from the accusations
which I received from their german lawyers. Since I didn't
steal any images, and since  there is no copyright on
a file format, they came up with the following:

o IPIX-images are no longer images (ie data) but computer
programs, in which case different copyright laws were
applicable. But even if this unconventional interpretation
were true, it wouldn't change anything, since the VR-author
remains copyright owner of the image/program.

o Since I know and describe parts of their file format,
I am implying that some IPIX-employee revealed it to me
(that 's what they say). This is supposed to damage IPIX's
reputation. Only problem: they use an openly documented public
domain file format, and this is how I found out.
 

It is not and never has been my intention to ruin
IPIX. Quite to the opposite, I still regard their
viewer to be the best one around (much better than
LivePicture,Smoothmove,QTVR), you only don't notice
it usually, because IPIX-images are limited to the
low-res fisheye-method. Using Panorama Tools, it was
possible to generate truly high-res IPIX images
from multiple-image stitched panos, which are
amazing. I still think that it would benefit all,
including IPIX, if this method were available again.

Current status is that we are negotiating a way
to get together. We all want to settle this outside
a court. I hope we can find a way which gives
the users free access to software tools for the creation of
panoramic images.

Btw: This has all nothing to do with fisheye lenses
or patents to use them for panorama creation.