IP: Tax break for snoopable crypto; 5 percent Net tax plan

[Dave Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>]

> If you think the Congress is sane, try this pair. Luckily there are sane members I HOPE!!!  djf
>
> http://www.wired.com/news/news/politics/story/21014.html
>
>                      A Tax Break for Snoopable Code
>                      by Declan McCullagh 
>
>                      3:00 a.m.  30.Jul.99.PDT
>                      WASHINGTON -- If anyone in Washington
>                      qualifies as an ardent foe of encryption,
>                      it's congressman Porter Goss (R-Florida). 
>
>                      Two years ago, the chairman of the
>                      House Intelligence committee tried to
>                      make it a crime to distribute
>                      privacy-protecting software, such as PGP
>                      or recent versions of Netscape Navigator
>                      and Internet Explorer. 
>
>                      The plan failed, but Goss didn't give up.
>                      On Wednesday, he and the panel's
>                      ranking Democrat introduced a bill to
>                      jump-start the US market for encryption
>                      products with backdoors that would
>                      support government surveillance. 
>
>                      [...remainder snipped...]
>
>
> http://www.wired.com/news/news/politics/story/21007.html
>
>                      Measure Pushes Federal Net Tax
>                      by Declan McCullagh 
>
>                      3:00 a.m.  30.Jul.99.PDT
>                      WASHINGTON -- Have you grown used to
>                      Amazon.com's no-sales-tax book orders?
>                      Are you a fan of the cheap price tags at
>                      cdnow.com? 
>
>                      Get ready for sticker shock. 
>
>                      Anyone who orders merchandise online
>                      will have to pay a new 5 percent federal
>                      tax if a bill introduced in Congress this
>                      week becomes law. 
>
>                      [...remainder snipped...]
>
>
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