NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #31/NN_1992_31.iso/spool/sci/crypt/6236

Text File | 1992-12-28 | 2.4 KB | 57 lines

Newsgroups: sci.crypt
Path: sparky!uunet!usc!howland.reston.ans.net!paladin.american.edu!gatech!usenet.ins.cwru.edu!agate!rsoft!mindlink!a7657
From: [e-mail] (Stephen H. Kawamoto)
Subject: The PGP debate: Is it legal?
Organization: MIND LINK! - British Columbia, Canada
Date: Mon, 28 Dec 1992 17:52:04 GMT
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Sender: [e-mail] (Usenet)
Lines: 46

After reading much of the bulk of messages on the legality of using PGP which
uses the author Zimmermann's own implementation of the RSA encryption
techniques, I have a suggestion to make:
    Why not see if PKP's RSA can decode a PGP message?

It cannot due to several reasons:
 1) the RSA algorithm that Zimmermann used is his own interpretation of the
original one in the paper by the people who originally thought it up,
 2) PKP's RSA has not gone thru any refinations - they own the patent of a
specific algorithm,
and, thus
 3) the RSA implemented in PGP cannot be the exact same as in the patented
RSA.

If I am wrong, then this explains why the PGP debate rages on. It seems to me
that it is political in some ways. Since we heard from the PKP representative
through one contributor to this discussion, alot of people decided in favor
of non-PGP software and advocated dropping PGP due to the threat of
litigation.  I agree with the author of the article who stated that PKP is
influencing us with a subtle style not usually seen online these days.  In
any case, the damage is done.

In the past, I was tempted to say something but felt that I needed more
information. The PGP-INFO digests provided much of what I needed to know. (If
the kind mailing list person who passed me on the digests is about, thank
you.)

What I've learned so far:
Threats of lawsuits result in avoidance of dealing with important issues.
As a result, advocation of safer issues are done so.
The Zimmermann PGP software is safe from legal hassles outside the USA.
PGP's RSA algorithm is not covered by the PKP 'bought' RSA patent.

The threats of litigation by PKP was a ruse. PGP could have resulted in
benefits to both sides of this particular 'battle.' Yet PKP was more
interested in a monopoly on RSA and anything related to it, including public
key encryption on the whole.


--
address Email to reach me: <[e-mail]>||<[e-mail]>
    "It is the very mind itself
     That leads the mind astray;
     Of the mind,
     Do not be mindless."
     (an old Japanese folk song)