From: tcmay@got.net (Timothy C. May)
Date: Wed, 24 Jan 1996 19:06:52 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: Crippled Notes export encryption
Message-ID: <ad2b4efa0102100435ee@[205.199.118.202]>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


At 9:29 AM 1/24/96, Jeff Weinstein wrote:

>  I suspect that to get around the US government in this way we
>would have to develop the entire product outside of the US.  That
>would be a very drastic move that is not likely to happen any
>time soon.  We are going to invest some money and effort into
>trying to get the current restrictions lifted first.

For what it's worth, this is what I've heard several knowledgeable lawyers
say is the case, that merely sending the crypto experts abroad is no
solution, that the entire product (or some large fraction of it) must be
foreign-originated.

The usual issue: That if a foreign-originated product even appears to be a
standard (so far, none have been), and includes strong crypto, then the NSA
and other agencies will simply change the rules. Thus, if extremely strong
crypto from "Netscape-Zurich" starts to have a significant market presense
in the U.S., then some law will be passed to restrict it.

--Tim May

Boycott espionage-enabled software!
We got computers, we're tapping phone lines, we know that that ain't allowed.
---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:----
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: 2^756839 - 1  | black markets, collapse of governments.
"National borders aren't even speed bumps on the information superhighway."