print/freetype2 patent warning obsolete.

[Koop Mast]

On 10-12-2012 16:05, Christian Weisgerber wrote:
> Eitan Adler <lists at eitanadler.com> wrote:
>
>> http://www.freetype.org/patents.html
> "The colour filtering algorithm of Microsoft's ClearType technology for
>   subpixel rendering is covered by patents. Note that subpixel rendering
>   per se is prior art; using a different colour filter thus circumvents
>   Microsoft's patent claims."
>
> I admit I'm at a loss if that means that this...

 From what I understood from a bit of digging. Is that there are two 
patents "groups" at play here. The patents relating to TrueType bytecode 
are expired and this support is enabled by default in the 2.4 series. No 
problem here.

The patents relating to Microsoft's ClearType or as it is called LCD 
rendering here. Can be used if you use a different colour filter. I'm 
unsure if or how this is to be done. So I think it save to not change 
the port in this regard.

I found this commit fedora that does the same thing as we do.
http://pkgs.fedoraproject.org/cgit/freetype.git/commit/?id=c1c64f8cf9264592bca747c9463814a805150346

-Koop

>> --- Makefile	(revision 308575)
>> +++ Makefile	(working copy)
>> @@ -31,10 +31,7 @@ GNU_CONFIGURE=	yes
>>   USE_GNOME=	pkgconfig ltverhack:9
>>   LIBTOOLFILES=	builds/unix/configure
>>   CONFIGURE_WRKSRC=	${WRKSRC}/builds/unix
>> -
>> -.if defined(WITH_LCD_FILTERING)
>>   CFLAGS+=	-DFT_CONFIG_OPTION_SUBPIXEL_RENDERING
>> -.endif
> ... is patent-encumbered or not.
>