From: jim bell <jimbell@pacifier.com>
Date: Fri, 8 Nov 1996 16:51:43 -0800 (PST)
To: Rich Graves <cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: WebTV a "munition"
Message-ID: <199611090051.QAA20055@mail.pacifier.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


At 01:12 PM 11/8/96 -0800, Rich Graves wrote:
>Eric Murray wrote:
>> 
>> Page 3 of the San Jose Mercury News has a small blurb
>> about WebTV's browser/set-top box that "uses
>> computer-security technology so powerful that the
>> government is classifying it as a weapon
>> that will require a special export license before
>> it can be sold overseas".[...]
>> shouldn't be too difficult.  If they didn't use the "export"
>> level SSL CipherTypes, then what're they up to?  Are they
>> fighting crypto export laws (for which they should be congratulated
>> and supported) or are they just looking for free publicity?
>
>Based on the lack of public policy pronouncements from the WebTV folks, 
>I would answer C) They're clueless. I'm not sure that management even 
>understood, or wanted to understand, that they'd have an export problem.
>See http://www.webtv.net/


However, I estimate that the "investment" of probably under $1 million, and 
certainly under $10 million dollars, would easily sweep away any legal 
obstacle to the export of these devices.


Jim Bell
jimbell@pacifier.com