Re: PGP & RSA -> Legal

[Clark Reynard <clark@metal.psu.edu>]

If RSA wished to make it extremely difficult to get its
patent revoked, it could raise its regular price to something
on the order of $50,000.  Then, it could offer a $49,900.00
discount to those who would be willing to perform for them
the 'service' of writing to the government to complain about
any possible outlawing of cryptographic technology.

Then, if the government wished to illegalize this software,
since the software was legal at the time of purchase, it could
not be confiscated without due payment of value.  If thousands
of people were to say, "Hey, this software's worth fifty
thousand dollars, you have to pay that."  It would throw
at least something of a legal obstacle in the path of this
obscene government menace.

Does anyone know of any legal precedent which might be
binding to a case of this nature?  I know that eminent
domain laws are usually _very_ generous in compensation
for property seized for public works, if there is even
the slightest _trace_ of impropriety in their actions.
----
Robert W. Clark
rclark@nyx.cs.du.edu   PGP signature available by mail or finger