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- Xref: sparky sci.crypt:3139 alt.security:4285
- Path: sparky!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!think.com!barmar
- From: barmar@think.com (Barry Margolin)
- Newsgroups: sci.crypt,alt.security
- Subject: Re: Are DES restriction even logically sound?
- Date: 8 Sep 1992 04:11:06 GMT
- Organization: Thinking Machines Corporation, Cambridge MA, USA
- Lines: 28
- Message-ID: <18h94qINNlkq@early-bird.think.com>
- References: <1992Sep5.164646.21443@uwm.edu> <1992Sep6.071901.21881@uwm.edu> <1992Sep6.094022.28262@uwm.edu>
- NNTP-Posting-Host: gandalf.think.com
-
- In article <1992Sep6.094022.28262@uwm.edu> markh@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Mark) writes:
- >(4) If it's described in English, is it regarded as software? English is
- > executable under a suitably designed specialized natural language
- > interpreter.
-
- When we really have compilers capable of executing free-form English, the
- government may adjust their notion of the distinction between software and
- human-oriented description. Since the description of DES *is* in a public
- domain document (a US FIPS), it's clearly not considered to be a software
- implementation that is subject to export restrictions.
-
- In answer to the other posting about US citizens being the only people able
- to turn descriptions into implementations, that's not the issue. The
- government doesn't want us to facilitate the creation of munitions by our
- enemies (encryption devices are considered to be weapons -- remember, the
- development of computers was catalyzed by the use of encryption during
- WWII), and selling working implementations of DES is considered
- facilitation. There are also published articles that detail how to build
- bombs, yet the government also controls their export as well.
-
- Of course, these days encryption is more useful for commercial uses than
- military, and the government is shooting the economy in the foot by
- restricting its sales.
- --
- Barry Margolin
- System Manager, Thinking Machines Corp.
-
- barmar@think.com {uunet,harvard}!think!barmar
-