From: Jeffrey I. Schiller <jis@mit.edu>
Date: Mon, 16 May 94 11:04:13 PDT
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: PGP 2.5 Beta Release Over, PGP 2.6 to be released next week
Message-ID: <9405161804.AA08573@big-screw>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----

The beta version of PGP 2.5 is now being removed from MIT file servers.

In about a week,  MIT will begin  distribution of a new release numbered
PGP 2.6. PGP 2.6 will incorporate a new version of RSAREF, scheduled for
release by RSA Data Security next week, and  will also correct bugs that
were reported in PGP 2.5.

In order  to   fully protect  RSADSI's intellectual  property  rights in
public-key technology, PGP 2.6 will be designed so  that the messages it
creates after September 1,  1994 will be  unreadable by earlier versions
of PGP that infringe patents licensed exclusively to Public Key Partners
by MIT and Stanford University. PGP 2.6 will continue to be able to read
messages generated by those earlier versions.

MIT's intent is  to discourage continued use  of the earlier  infringing
software,  and to give  people adequate time  to upgrade. As part of the
release process, MIT has commissioned an independent legal review of the
intellectual property issues surrounding earlier releases of PGP and PGP
keyservers. This   review determined  that PGP  2.3  infringes  a patent
licensed by MIT to RSADSI, and that keyservers that primarily accept 2.3
keys  are mostly  likely   contributing to this  infringement.  For that
reason,  MIT encourages all non-commercial  users in the U.S. to upgrade
to PGP 2.6,  and all keyserver operators  to no longer accept keys  that
are identified as being produced by PGP 2.3.

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: 2.5

iQBVAgUBLdezEVUFZvpNDE7hAQGRhAH+KACuaOfMynsL9QGmJpp9ToWEJB+1OFGb
whoZbHbw/H268zIrFoCcm24UITcBiIcuSsk3ydpMyFTb/YBgIbzgqQ==
=EbV1
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----