From: Dave Null <davenull@dev.null>
Date: Fri, 12 Sep 1997 16:26:03 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: Any talk of limiting _existing_ crypto?
In-Reply-To: <v03102809b03e747663d3@[207.167.93.63]>
Message-ID: <3418FA3F.206@dev.null>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



::
Anon-To: cypherpunks@toad.com

Tim May wrote:
 > Is there any reasonable interpretation of any of the SAFE or Pro-CODE
bills
> that could make it illegal to use preexisting crypto programs (before the
> ban)?

  Govt doesn't need to use a reasonable interpretation. They tell you
what you can and can't do--the judge areees with them--ten years later
the Supremes tell you to go ahead and use it but it no longer runs on
any of the machines in existence.

> Any way they could make it illegal to use PGP or Lotus Notes or
> whatever in conjunction with a mailer or browser?

  Yes. They declare it to be so.
 
> If not, then our strategy should be to get the simpler, text-centric,
> crypto programs massively and widely deployed. Spend the year or so we have
> before D-Day getting crypto onto every CD-ROM being distributed, every
> public domain site, etc.
 > Integration with mailers and browsers may not even be such a good
idea, as
> the evolution of such products will cause obsolescence. Better, perhaps, to
> leave the crypto at the "text edit" level, the ASCII level, where it can be
> dropped in cleanly to whatever program is current. (Also an old strategy,
> one with many advantages.)

  Make it work simply for everyone with the push of a single button.
It doesn't have to be secure, it has to be convenient. The only thing
the masses need is the illusion of security. Then they will cry loudly
when someone tries to take it away.
  Make it so that those who want strong security can jump through the
necessary hoops to get it from the same program so that they can't
take away yours and leave them with theirs. 

> The war criminals in Washington will have a real hard time rounding up the
> crypto deployed between now and D-Day.

  Strong encryption, officer? Yes, my Bouncing Betty Security Disk
is right there in the top drawer. I'll just step back here a little
and let you go get it.
 
Dave Null