Bug#791399: [cimg] Non free image lenna

David Tschumperlé David.Tschumperle at ensicaen.fr
Sat Jul 4 19:18:43 UTC 2015


Hi Andreas,

There are other images distributed within the CImg packages that are not
free but also "distributable", so I'm a bit surprised the bug report
focuses only on the Lena image.
The stereo portrait and the parrot image are not free either (they are my
own pictures).
I don't think there any current issues about the images distributed in the
CImg package.

Moreover, having the Lena image has several advantages. First, it gives a
clues about what kind of community the library is targeting (algorithmic of
image processing).
The lena image has a strong identity in this community. Second, this is the
most classical image used for comparing results of several algorithms (like
denoising algorithms),
some of they being a part of the CImg features. So, it's interesting to
have it to get comparative results with state of the art algorithms (try to
get the PSNR value of a denoising
algorithm for any other image in a paper, and tell me what image you can
pick (apart from the 'cameraman' image, which honestly sucks)).

About the fact it illustrated the sexism in sciences, this is probably a
joke (at least I hope so).
Everyone working in image processing has used this image at least once in
this life, so I repeat it, this image represents a community by itself.
And there are no nudity nor offensive contents in the dsitributed image.
This is a portrait of a woman, nothing else. Saying it is sexist is one of
the strangest
and conservative thing I've ever read (to stay polite).

As you guess, I have no plans to remove it.

Regards,

David.







2015-07-04 19:05 GMT+02:00 Andreas Tille <andreas at an3as.eu>:

> Hi Bastien,
>
> thanks for this bug report, which I'm hereby forwarding upstream.
>
> David, do you have any acceptable free replacement which works
> similarly good as example?
>
> Kind regards
>
>      Andreas.
>
> On Sat, Jul 04, 2015 at 01:32:17PM +0200, Bastien ROUCARIES wrote:
> > Package: src:cimg
> > Severity: serious
> > version: 1.5.9+dfsg-1
> >
> >
> > The given source file
> >
> > examples/img/lena.pgm
> >
> >
> > is cropped from playboy centerfold.
> >
> >
> > This image is a picture of Lena Saderberg, shot by photographer Dwight
> > Hooker, cropped from the centerfold of the November 1972 issue of
> > Playboy magazine.
> >
> >
> > According to Hutchison, Jamie (May June 2001). "Culture,
> > Communication, and an Information Age Madonna" (PDF). IEEE
> > Professional Communication Society Newsletter 45 (3). (page 5 second
> > column second paragraph), this image is distributable but not free.
> >
> >
> > Moreover, Lenna photo has been pointed to as an example of sexism in
> > the sciences, reinforcing gender stereotypes.
> >
> >
> > Please use well known and free test image.
> >
> >
> > thanks
> >
> >
> > Bastien
> >
> > --
> > debian-science-maintainers mailing list
> > debian-science-maintainers at lists.alioth.debian.org
> >
> http://lists.alioth.debian.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/debian-science-maintainers
> >
>
> --
> http://fam-tille.de
>
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