From: Rich Burroughs <richieb@teleport.com>
Date: Sat, 4 May 1996 13:14:18 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: Conrad_Burns@burns.senate.gov: Open Letter to Internet  Community From Senator Burns
Message-ID: <2.2.32.19960503200718.00724dc4@mail.teleport.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


At 01:45 PM 5/3/96 -0500, John Deters <jad@dsddhc.com> wrote:
[snip]
>I agree that this could be the single most important piece of legislation to
>affect the cypherpunks ever -- firmly defining the legal status of
>encryption (and in our favor, no less!)
[snip]

I sent email today to Senators Burns and Leahy thanking them for their work
on this issue, and I'm asking others who support their efforts to do the
same.  They've got some hard work ahead of them to get this bill through, I
think, and I wanted to let them know their efforts are appreciated.

I also pointed out to Senator Leahy, politely but firmly, my concern over
this provision in the ECPA (which he mentioned in his letter, so I'm
assuming he considers it still on the table):

"Whoever willfully endeavors by means of encryption to obstruct, impede, or
prevent the communication of
information in furtherance to a felony which may be prosecuted in a court of
the United States, to an investigative or law enforcement officer shall- 

"(1) in the case of a first conviction, be sentenced to imprisonment for not
more than 5 years, fined under this title, or both; or 
"(2) in the case of a second or subsequent conviction, be sentenced to
imprisonment for not more than 10 years,
fined under this title, or both."

>]           (2) Miniaturization, disturbed computing, and
>                                 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>]        reduced transmission costs make communication via
>]        electronic networks a reality.
>
>I think "disturbed computing" pretty much sums up this list, if not the
>entire net!  :-)

:)


Rich

______________________________________________________________________
Rich Burroughs  richieb@teleport.com  http://www.teleport.com/~richieb
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