Re: PGP 2.6 is dangerous in the long term ?

[nelson@crynwr.com (Russell Nelson)]

   From: mgream@acacia.itd.uts.edu.au (Matthew Gream)
   Date: Wed, 25 May 94 12:43:46 EST
   Organization: University of Technology, Sydney.

   As the RSA patent is expected to expire in the coming years, one would
   expect the liberation of PGP, at least in terms of the RSA algorithm
   (negating the export control issues). The sinister fact of PGP 2.6, and
   other derived RSAREF product is that even as the patent itself expires,
   RSADSI still exerts control over PGP by way of RSAREF.

You have to assume that RSA isn't being run by idiots.  Either they're
looking at closing their doors in seven years, or they've got a plan.
If it were *my* company, I'd make sure that everyone depends on
running my software.  And since that's what I'd do, it's only
reasonable to assume that that's what RSA is trying to do.

So maybe what we (the c'punk community) need to do is maintain
parallel versions of PGP (ick), one which continues to use 100% GPL'ed
code, and another which uses RSAREF to stay legal.

-russ <nelson@crynwr.com>      ftp.msen.com:pub/vendor/crynwr/crynwr.wav
Crynwr Software   | Crynwr Software sells packet driver support | ask4 PGP key
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