dank@eng.umd.edu (Daniel R. Kuespert) (03/28/90)
In article <KPETERSEN.12577135477.BABYL@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL> w8sdz@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL (Keith Petersen) writes: >Bill, it is true that PKWare's PKPAK, SEA's ARC, and NoGate's PAK all >contain encryption technology. It may become necessary for SIMTEL20 >and other Internet hosts in USA and Canada to delete these programs >from public download areas. Taken to the extreme, all BBS operators >in USA and Canada may be inviting legal trouble by offering ANY >program which encrypts or decrypts data if there is any chance that >someone from another country might call and download the file. > >This is a real can of worms which I intend to let others resolve. >It may take some federal legislation to resolve this. Does the Gov't (Federal Trade Commission?) bar transfer of _all_ data encryption programs across the US border? I knew of the proscription against exporting software which implements the Data Encryption Standard algorithm, but a ban on all data encryption software could easily reach ludicrous heights. After all, ROT13 encoding is a simple Caesar cipher, so by one interpretation of such a ban, rn, tr, awk, sed, and lots of other standard programs implement data encryption. The Snefru one-way hash function recently released by Xerox (?) is another, more significant development; since it's been incorporated into the comp.sources.unix program validator, that code could easily have left the US already. Daniel R. Kuespert, Grand Curmudgeon of the Poo-Bah Lodge Chemical Process Systems Laboratory University of Maryland, College Park, MD dank@eng.umd.edu
ted@helios.ucsc.edu (Ted Cantrall) (03/29/90)
This whole idea is absurd! If these encryption routines are so valuable to foreign persons, our borders are so open, that they would just come here on "vacation" and buy them! (or have their embassy buy them and send them in a diplomatic pouch) In other words, the bad guys get them before we do. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ted@helios.ucsc.edu | "If I get any phone calls while I'm gone, (408)459-2110 | just don't answer them." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nagle@cup.portal.com (John - Nagle) (04/10/90)
With the coming revisions to the export control laws, it is probably
time to lobby Congress for the removal of this stupid restriction. IF
anyone follows this issue, please post, and let us know where and to whom
to write.
Incidentally, you can import crypto gear into the US without any
restrictions. Most non-superpowers get their crypto gear from
Hagelin Crypto AG, Zug, Switzerland.
John Nagleroot@kunivv1.sci.kun.nl (Privileged Account) (04/12/90)
In article <28753@cup.portal.com> Nagle@cup.portal.com (John Nagle) writes: > Incidentally, you can import crypto gear into the US without any >restrictions. Most non-superpowers get their crypto gear from >Hagelin Crypto AG, Zug, Switzerland. > > John Nagle If you import this gear into the US, can you send it back for repair? Or would that be considered illegal export of crypto hardware? Just curious. Hans Mulder hansm@cs.kun.nl