The day GIF became free to use, forever

· David Farquhar · Oct. 1, 2026, 11:05 a.m.
retro computing Social Media Digital Media GIF file format Patent expiration
Summary
On October 1, 2006, the last patents on the GIF file format expired, making it free to use indefinitely. This moment marked a significant change in how GIFs could be utilized on social media and beyond.
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