IP: more on two on New Encryption Regulations

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

----Original Message-----
From:           Russell Nelson <nelson () crynwr com>
To:             shapj () us ibm com
Cc:             farber () cis upenn edu
Subject:        Re: IP: more on two  on New Encryption Regulations
Date:           Thursday, January 13, 2000 9:29 AM

> From:        shapj () us ibm com
>
> The curious point that nobody seems to want to comment on is that the
> regulation *only* lightens the load for open source code.

The answer is that they escape Bernstein without having to appeal it.
The judge will say "But Daniel J. Bernstein is now free to publish his
source code as free speech.  This lawsuit is now a moot point.  Case
dismissed."

My own reading of this is that the NSA is attempting to impede in
commerce, and is of the old-fashioned "If it's free of cost it's free
of value" school.  There is nothing to stop someone from selling a
perl encryption package (with full source, freely copyable) with
support in a nice box.  Someone at the NSA neither neglected scripting
languages entirely, or discounted their potential.

Or a third possibility: that the NSA has *finally* concluded that
restricting crypto reduces the security of the United States.  But
everyone generally agrees that the NSA is the driving force behind
crypto export restrictions. If the NSA has come to that conclusion, it
should simply declare victory and get rid of all the regulations and
restrictions.  I think that they haven't come to that conclusion.
Instead, what we're seeing is the outcome of an internal political
battle.

Let's hope the right people win.


-- 
-russ nelson <sig () russnelson com>  http://russnelson.com
Crynwr sells support for free software  | PGPok | "Ask not what your country
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