Re: Encryption policies of Fidnet, etc.

[danodom@matt.ksu.ksu.edu (Dan Odom)]

Ed Carp Said:

> It has long been held that there is an exemption to 'patent infringment'
> for educational or other "non-commercial" uses.

Is this just for RSA, or for all patents?  If PKP wanted to forbid
academic use of RSA (or require a license for it), could they legally
do so?  Assume for now that the patent is valid, which it may not
be...

I ask all this because I often hear researchers looking for a cure for
(insert your favorite aliment here) complain that they have to pay
patent royalties on the gentically-modified animals they use in their
work, and if, say, two patented rabbits produce offspring, they
have to pay royalties on each of the offspring as well.  This is
academic use (to me anyway; I don't know about legally), but requires
royalties.

-- 
Dan Odom
danodom@matt.ksu.ksu.edu -- Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS

PGP key by finger or request.