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- Xref: sparky sci.crypt:5684 alt.security.pgp:177
- Newsgroups: sci.crypt,alt.security.pgp
- Path: sparky!uunet!spool.mu.edu!sdd.hp.com!news.cs.indiana.edu!mvanheyn@cherry.ucs.indiana.edu
- From: Marc VanHeyningen <mvanheyn@whale.cs.indiana.edu>
- Subject: Re: PKP/RSA comments on PGP legality
- Message-ID: <1992Dec14.204408.6485@news.cs.indiana.edu>
- X-Quoted: 50%
- Organization: Computer Science Dept, Indiana University
- References: <1992Dec14.190615.13954@macc.wisc.edu>
- Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1992 20:43:48 -0500
- Lines: 29
-
- Thus said stevens@vms.macc.wisc.edu (PAul STevens - MACC - 2-9618):
- >In article <1galtnINNhn5@transfer.stratus.com>, cme@ellisun.sw.stratus.com (Carl Ellison) writes...
- >
- >>I went to the horse's mouth and asked some folks at PKP & RSA to comment
- >>on PGP legality. Here's their reply. I have permission to post it.
- >>
- >>Being aware of the RSA patent makes infringement willful and
- >>deliberate. Under patent law, a patent holder is entitled to seek
- >>triple damages and legal fees from deliberate infringers. While the
- >
- > Once again. Talk, talk, talk, talk, talk. Who is going to do
- > something? For the record I am going to publish a number I
- [ ... ]
- > My point is that *someone* has to test this patent claim! How
- > can we force this to happen? If someone does get sued are we
- > all willing to contribute to the defense or are we all talk, too?
-
- Whoever goes to court to test the patent claim had better darn well have
- the resources and circumstances to mount a strong defense or else he'll
- just get creamed and a precedent will be set in favor of PKP. It's not
- something for some random doofus to challenge without significant
- backing and knowledge. Making a frivolous violation and losing in court
- does not help your cause; quite the contrary.
-
- That was part of why Mark Riordan quietly withdrew RPEM when it was
- challenged even though he didn't believe it infringed PKP's patent. I
- suppose you think him a wimp who does nothing but "talk talk talk"
- because of that, but it may have been the right decision for the time.
- --
-