From: "Perry E. Metzger" <perry@piermont.com>
Date: Sun, 21 Jul 1996 01:00:09 +0800
To: jsw@netscape.com
Subject: Re: Netscape download requirements
In-Reply-To: <31F0CC92.44D7@netscape.com>
Message-ID: <199607201449.KAA07438@jekyll.piermont.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



Jeff Weinstein writes:
> Remo Pini wrote:
> > Why can't anybody in US write a little program that compares the
> > two 4.5 meg install files and make a patcher? (It seems simple to
> > do, is very inconspicuous and of course does not violate the ITAR
> > - although it might violate some copyright stuff, but hey, whos
> > willing to enforce something like that, when it's anonymously
> > posted or mailed)
> 
>   Actually a lawyer once told me that such a patch might be considered
> a "defense repair", and thus be regulated by the ITAR.  I kid you not.
> Your bits would fall into the same bucket as missile parts.  The more
> I learn about ITAR and the way the government tries to link software
> to it, the more amazed I get.

As a practical matter, however, such a piece of software could
circulate widely overseas without the U.S. being able to do anything
about it.

Perry