Bypassing U.S. export laws at physical meetings

[Tim May <tcmay@got.net>]

At 8:33 AM -0800 5/19/97, John W. Noerenberg wrote:
>At 12:26 PM -0700 5/18/97, Alan Olsen wrote:
>>
>>Have you noticed that none of the PGP people have posted as of late?  I
>>wonder if they were among the "purged".
>>
>
>I understand they are taking a very narrow interpretation of the
>prohibition about rendering technical assistance to non-US citizens.
>Mailing lists may not be public enough, so they are being cautious.
>

Interestingly, PGP staffers have been "helping" exports at physical
Cypherpunks meetings...which they view as ideal fora for bypassing the U.S.
laws. Companies wishing to communicate important crypto information to
foreign developers have used the physical meetings to do this "legally" (so
they claim...I'm not a lawyer).

(That several Japanese nationals were at one such meeting, picking up the
PGP documentation, did not matter. Nor did it matter that the presentation
was videotaped for non-U.S. distribution. Nor that other foreign nationals
were in the audience.)

Of course, if Prof. Junger loses his case, I suppose we'll have to check
for passports at the door.

(Though such checking of passports probably violates other laws about
discrimination. For example, the "Egghead example" (does Egghead face
charges if it sells to a foreigner?). Does Egghead get in
antidiscrimination trouble if it asks to see some documentation on
dark-skinned or foreign-looking persons, while not, obviously, demanding
passports from white-skinned or black-skinned 'Muricans?)

--Tim May

There's something wrong when I'm a felon under an increasing number of laws.
Only one response to the key grabbers is warranted: "Death to Tyrants!"
---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:----
Timothy C. May              | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money,
tcmay@got.net  408-728-0152 | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero
W.A.S.T.E.: Corralitos, CA  | knowledge, reputations, information markets,
Higher Power: 2^1398269     | black markets, collapse of governments.
"National borders aren't even speed bumps on the information superhighway."