From: "Paul S. Penrod" <furballs@netcom.com>
Date: Thu, 20 Jun 1996 15:10:44 +0800
To: Derek Atkins <warlord@MIT.EDU>
Subject: Re: Current status of RSA patent...
In-Reply-To: <199606191956.PAA17079@toxicwaste.media.mit.edu>
Message-ID: <Pine.3.89.9606191305.A8074-0100000@netcom>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain




On Wed, 19 Jun 1996, Derek Atkins wrote:

> > Can anyone provide additional information on the RSA patent status? 
> > If memory serves me, it is due to expire sometime in 1997. 
> 
> I think you need to replaces your SIMMs, your memory is faulty.  RSA
> lives until 2000 (or 2003, I forget); 1997 is Diffie-Helman.

SIMM replacment on both sides of the aisle.

Patent # 	4.200.770
Date:	 	3/29/80
Expiration:	3/29/97
Inventor(s)	Hellman, Diffie, Merkle
Coverage:	Diffie-Hellman Key Exchange

Patent #	4,405,829
Date:		9/20/83
Expiration:	9/20/2000
Inventor(s)	Rivest, Shamir, Adleman
Coverage:	RSA

> 
> > Also, what are the ramifications of deploying software based around it, 
> > such as PGP 2.62i (from UK)?
> 
> What you think would happen based on the fact that the patent hasn't
> expired.
> 

PGP 2.6.2i is not US codebase, and RSA is not patented outside the US 
according to Bruce Schneiner. Therefore, if a product was deployed into 
the US using a non-US codebase, it is unclear to me what legal 
jurisdiction (if any) RSA may have in these circumstances.

...Paul