Leahy Bill a Move to Slow Crypto Exports as Much as Possible

[tcmay@got.net (Timothy C. May)]

At 11:02 AM 3/11/96, Mutant Rob wrote:
>Timothy C. May wrote:
>> I think this is showing that one of the intended purposes of the Leahy bill
>> is to slow down exports of crypto for as long as possible, and then only to
>> grant export licenses when competition from abroad threatens to undo the
>> effects of the stalling process anyway.
>
>Hmmm.
>
>But what about the case of PGP? It's a relatively strong product, and
>an international version exists.  I'd guess that PGP 3.0 may implement
>other algorithms (PK and symmetric), and likely an international PGP3
>would follow... so how could the Commerce Dept rationalize not giving
>an export license to ViaCrypt?
>
>And would a similar, but non-compatible, utility that used RSA and/or
>IDEA, 3DES, etc. also be exportable? ...

Oh, I think they probably will (assuming the ViaCrypt and/or PGP products
are unencumbered with respect to patent issues).

I was more thinking about "novel" applications: things related to digital
cash, remailers, information markets, etc. These are things which are at a
nascent stage, and nearly any of them can stalled for export by citing the
absence of comparable competitors in Europe and Asia.

Hence my concern that the clause is effectively an excuse for delaying
crypto for as long as is practically possible. Not much of an improvement
over what we have now--though established companies will no doubt be happy
because they can export their fairly boring apps--and the new
criminalization of crypto (when connected with any of the other thousands
of felony-class crimes, such as swearing) is a step backward.

--Tim May

Boycott "Big Brother Inside" software!
We got computers, we're tapping phone lines, we know that that ain't allowed.
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