Does Estonian RSA chip violate patents?

[rishab@dxm.ernet.in]

Jyri Poldre <jp@jep.pld.ttu.ee>:
> Recently i became involved in project of designing semi-custom VLSI device 
> for endecryption. The device uses variable length RSA for key exchange and
> IDEA for data encryption. For pipelinig IDEA block we have to use 6
> multipliers 16 bit ant that leaves us with 96 bit adder for RSA calculations.
> ( The chip should be reasonably cheap ). Otherwise the RSA speed would not

As this is in Estonia, I don't suppose you're bothered about the patents?
As far as I know, RSA/PKP patents are for _algorithms_, not respected outside
the US, though patents for RSA/PKP _hardware_ would be respected worldwide.

I'm not sure how algorithm patents can be applied to hardware -- you may or 
may not be able to sell this chip in the US _without_ violating patents. 
(Though you can freely sell RSA hardware or software outside the US.)

You may even be able to apply for a European patent for the hardware, which
would then be respected everywhere, except in the US where it may be superceded
by the algorithm patents.

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Rishab Aiyer Ghosh                                     rishab@dxm.ernet.in
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