From: Duncan Frissell <frissell@panix.com>
Date: Thu, 25 Jan 1996 11:05:28 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: Crypto Exports, Europe, and Conspiracy Theories
Message-ID: <2.2.32.19960125010506.0099a208@panix.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


At 04:59 PM 1/24/96 -0800, Timothy C. May wrote:

>In a kind of variant of the Fermi Paradox ("Why aren't they here?,"
>referrring to alien visitors), my question is this: "Why aren't we able to
>solve this pressing problem of not being able to export strong crypto by
>_importing_ it?"
>
>I don't think it's an accident, or laziness on the part of European and
>Asian companies, that we haven't gotten around the U.S.'s laws about
>exporting crypto by getting our crypto from competent programmers and
>companies outside the U.S.
>
>Comments?

How about time.  We're less than a year on from the "Internet Breakthrough."
It is not obvious to the non-political that stand alone desktops or
enterprise LANs need crypto.  The "need" for the product only develops with
telecoms.  Recall the fact that hardly anyone was online (or even knew what
the term meant) only a short time ago as product development cycles run.
We'll see.

Markets are efficient but not perfect.

DCF