Ask HN: How do patents limit the BPG format, and how does that affect me?
One obvious downside is that it doesn't work if you have JavaScript turned off, but one can always provide alternative formats for screen readers (if needed), and I'm not sure how common that is anymore with regular users, since most websites don't work at all without JavaScript.
One thing that keeps popping up and makes most people dismiss the format is that it uses components that are protected by patents. I'm therefore trying to understand the extend of that, and if that would actually affect me or not.
- can I use BPG images converted by a third-party tool on my website (front-end only)? - can I convert BPG images programatically in the back-end without breaking the patent? - if I wanted to create a tool to convert images for people in exchange for a fee, would that break the patent?
BPG images—according to my tests—weight up to 70% less of their JPG counterparts. I have absolutely no idea why everyone isn't switching, or at least why Google, Facebook etc. don't pay to license the format and save hours to their mobile users, and millions in bandwidth to themselves.