Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!van-bc!ubc-cs!alberta!ccu!umcarls9
From: umcarls9@ccu.umanitoba.ca (Charles Carlson)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: PKZIP version 1.10 and data encryption
Message-ID: <1990Mar28.144418.832@ccu.umanitoba.ca>
Date: 28 Mar 90 14:44:18 GMT
References: <KPETERSEN.12576936709.BABYL@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL> <3726.261001b4@vax5.cit.cornell.edu>
Distribution: comp
Organization: University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
Lines: 27

In article <3726.261001b4@vax5.cit.cornell.edu> tt3x@vax5.cit.cornell.edu writes:
>	I think it is just plain stupid that there is even a law prohibiting
>products with data encryption algorithms to be exported out of the US.
>Imagine the effectiveness of such a law in the real world?  By god, I bet
>that the people who we are trying to supposedly keep the software out of
>could get it in a snap.  I mean, they could call practically anyonone in the
>US (even underground bulletin boards) and get say a copy of PC Tools or
>whatever the new version of PKZIP is.
>
>Bobby Li

I agree!  I was just about to post an article on it when I saw yours.  
I don't understand it either.  If some foreign power wanted it, all they would
have to do is walk into any one of 1000's of computer stores across the
U.S. and Canada and pick up a copy of PC Tools or what have you.
 
I do understand laws prohibiting the export of computer equipment, but hardware
is a bit different for one big reason, it can't be copied! <well, you know
what I mean!> All you need is _ONE_ copy of something that has data
encryption, and you suddenly have as many copies as you need.
Each piece of hardware desired has to be exported...although much harder
than software<which can even be sent via modem if need be>, hardware
probably isn't that big of a deal for them either.

Maybe someone in the know can shed some light on this seemingly silly law??
 
Charles