Re: Netscape to patch shareware version

[Marshall Clow <mclow@coyote.csusm.edu>]

>| Meanwhile, in an as yet unannouced move, the company said it would place
>| its commercial browser online for free downloading. [..] THe commercial
>| version, sold only in the U.S. contains an unbreakable 128-bit
>| encryption scheme.
>
>Hurray! We did it! We did it! :-)

Indeed. Congratulations to Damien, Adam, and all the other people who
contributed cycles to the "Cypherpunks Key Breaking Ring".

>
>| Netscape said it received word last week that the State Department had
>| cleared that version for release on the Net, but only within the U.S.,
>| owing to current export laws banning the export of encryption schemes
>| stronger than 40 bits.  THe company could provide no details by press
>| time on how it would ensure that the 128-bit version wouldn't leak beyond
>| U.S. borders.
>
    I suspect Netscape will do the minimum so that they will not be held liable.

>Ok, any bet on how long it will take?
>
    Less than 3 hours.

>| The cypherpunks forced a situation where Net users now have better
>| encryption available to them.  I'd say this is a big win.
>
>The power of the Net is actually quite astonishing at times. The
>plotting in Ender's Game isn't all that unrealistic after all. (Oh,
>well, ruler of the world is a bit of still. ;-))
>
Demosthenes