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From: elund@pro-graphics.cts.com (Eric Lund)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: PKZIP version 1.10 and data encryption
Message-ID: <2012@crash.cts.com>
Date: 29 Mar 90 16:18:24 GMT
Sender: root@crash.cts.com
Lines: 25

In-Reply-To: message from w8sdz@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL
> Well folks, we have a new development - it seems the latest PKWare
> ZIP/UNZIP version 1.10 cannot be distributed on the international
> networks (Internet, Usenet, BITNET, EARN, etc), because it contains
> data encryption technology.  Federal law prohibits the export of such
> technology from the USA and Canada.

I just received the new version and anxiously read the postings in light of
the PKZIP/LHARC arguments.  I did some personal benchmarking (very, very
innacurate but it proves a point), and found the new ZIPPER to be slightly (A
guess: 8%?) faster with DEcompression, no change in compression (compared to
1.02) and a very, very, small decrease in archive size.  (50 bytes off a 30k
archive.  eh!)  However, the self-extraction scheme seems to have been vastly
improved, with greatly reduced file overhead, and the need for only ONE
program to convert it.  (ZIP2EXE is necessary, MAKESFX or whatever has been
eliminated, as well as the file it creates.)  I have yet to make LHarc
comparisons, though.

Question:  What is the business about the "data encryption technology"
garbage?  What laws prevent export from the USA?  Sounds like BS to me. >%^(
                                                  
Eric W. Lund *DISCLAIMER "Disclaimers are for weak people."* Prodigy: xcbr22b
UUCP: ...crash!pro-graphics!elund *COWS FOR RENT* ProLine: elund@pro-graphics
Internet: elund@pro-graphics.cts.com ** ARPA/DDN: pro-graphics!elund@nosc.mil