Re: crypto software/papers/docs CD -- is there any interest?

[tcmay@netcom.com (Timothy C. May)]

Mark Henderson writes:

> Forgive the somewhat commercial nature of this message, but I think 
> it is well within the lines of the cypherpunks mission of getting 
> code out to people. 
...
> I'm considering the possibility of producing a CD (for distribution 
> in North America only) of crypto source code, information/papers and 
> binaries for common platforms.
> 
> It would include the software available from the common ftp archives 
> (soda.berkeley.edu, wimsey.bc.ca, ripem.msu.edu, ftp.dsi.unimi.it 
> &c.) plus other assorted tidbits I've collected over the last few 
> years. The cost would be somewhere around US$50 depending upon the 
> demand (more CDs pressed translates into a lower price; there would
> be some equipment costs to offset). 

You'll have to be real careful here, as charging money means
copyrights have to be more scrupulously watched than when sites just
"informally" contain copyrighted material. (I'm not arguing for these
laws, just noting them.)

For example, essentially all of the crypto papers at the soda site are
actually copyrighted papers from journals or books that were
"contributed" by various folks (such as the not-seen-recently
"Information Liberation Front"). Try publishing this, whether for
"free" or for a fee, and watch what happens!

So, you'll need to get releases. waivers, permissions, etc., on all
this material. The official material, for sure. The article folks have
written may also be problematic....recall the intense debate several
years back about folk selling compilations of other people's stuff.

(There are lots of issues here, which get debated over and over again
in various forums. All I'm saying is that charging $50 for a
compilation of articles, FAQs, scanned items, etc. is likely to
trigger a lot of things. Just a heads up.)

Devious note: You could avoid legal actions, injunctions, etc., by
publishing anonymously. Makes getting assistance tougher. And makes
payment much iffier. Of course, an ideal situation for "anonymous
anonymous ftp" and digital cash, for network transfers. Physical disks
will be harder to sell anonymously.

--Tim May


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