Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!bellcore!spectral!sjs
From: sjs@spectral.ctt.bellcore.com (Stan Switzer)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.kerberos
Subject: Re: Change in Export Rules
Message-ID: <17051@bellcore.bellcore.com>
Date: 26 Jun 89 14:47:38 GMT
References: <8906230453.AA21081@PTT.LCS.MIT.EDU> <5835@cloud9.Stratus.COM> <17031@bellcore.bellcore.com>
Sender: news@bellcore.bellcore.com
Reply-To: sjs@ctt.bellcore.com (Stan Switzer)
Organization: Bellcore
Lines: 43

In article <17031@bellcore.bellcore.com> karn@ka9q.bellcore.com (Phil Karn) writes:
> 
> This whole subject of export controls on software that is freely available
> to one and all in the US is really starting to get to me. Is there even one
> person in the State or Defense Departments who sincerely believes that the
> Soviets (or any other country with an interest) doesn't already have a copy
> of Kerberos, complete with encryption routines? If so, they're further out
> of touch with reality than I thought.

This is a case of what I call the "Do something" mentality.

The US is losing its advantage in the arena of international commerce.

SOMEBODY HAS GOT TO DO SOMETHING!

So...  We identify our commercial and technological position as a
strategic asset.  But this very technology is easily available to
anyone who cares to find it.

SOMEBODY HAS GOT TO DO SOMETHING!

So...  We encumber our leading edge companies with export restrictions
(which although they do NOTHING to achieve their desired goal) makes
politicians and bureaucrats feel like they have "done something."

> It's time to put an end to this silly "export control" nonsense, with a
> lawsuit if necessary.  American computer people have better things to do
> with their time than deal with regulations totally devoid of common sense.

Meanwhile those companies having the financial resources to "do
something" about THIS problem enjoy a virtual hegemony over the
domestic market and see no reason to rock the boat over such an issue.
After all, it encumbers their competitors more than it does them.

And once again we end up wasting valuable talent and resources
tackling problems of our own making rather than figuring our how to
deliver a better product.

But you'll never catch ME saying that "somebody has got to do
something."  No thanks, enough is enough.

> Phil
Stan