Re: PGP in Canada

[s1113645@tesla.cc.uottawa.ca]

On Wed, 22 Nov 1995, Richard Martin wrote:

> It is legal for a Canadian citizen to import PGP into Canada
> under Canadian law. It is legal to use either the international
> or yanqui versions in Canada--software patents don't apply [I
> don't think].
Yup. RSA's only patented in one country- the USA. Though maybe with NAFTA...?

> It is *illegal* for a Canadian to export pgp anywhere except the
> U.S., if the pgp came from the U.S. and no substantial changes
> have been made to it.

All the same if it was freeware crypto software and completely written 
outside the US, I'm under the understanding that you can export without a 
license. IANAL, I may be wrong. Do double check.

Do mail the export controls division of external affairs and
ask for "Canada's Export Controls", the "General Software Note" and
a specific opinion regarding the exportability of pgp, US crypto,
non-US crypto and freware vs. commercial wares. They also hadn't
made up their mind as to whether ftp constituted export.

They have branches in all major Canadian cities, so I'll mail the nearest
addresses to those who are interested (I'm not at home right now).

> My recommendation: get the international version of PGP. [Unless, of
> course, the above statements are wrong, in which case my reasoning
> in favour of the international version are faulty.]

Sorry to say, it would be pointless, you wouldn't be able to export it from 
here unless it was totally rewritten outside the US (which it I take it 
it isn't, right?)