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From: jpm@calmasd.UUCP (John McNally)
Newsgroups: net.crypt
Subject: Re: RSA cryptographic algorithm patented?
Message-ID: <490@calmasd.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 17-Jul-85 18:19:28 EDT
Article-I.D.: calmasd.490
Posted: Wed Jul 17 18:19:28 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 21-Jul-85 00:17:58 EDT
References: <9028@ucbvax.ARPA>
Organization: Calma Company, San Diego, CA
Lines: 70

> The following letter appeared in the July, 1985 issue of BYTE magazine.
> I did not read the article that it refers to, but I find it ironic that
> after the inventors of RSA fought so hard to prevent the Government from
> classifying their work, they now are trying to use the patent system to
> suppress its widespread use.  The letter:
> 
>   As part of his article titled "Implementing Cryptographic Algorithms on
>   Microcomputers" (October 1984, page 126), Charles Kluepfel described an
>   implementation of the RSA Public Key algorithm and the BASIC code required.
>   Unfortunately, he did not reference that this RSA Public Key Cryptosystem
>   was patented by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1983
>   (U.S. Patent 4,405,829).  The worldwide exclusive license to this patent
>   was then purchased from MIT by RSA Security Inc., a company founded by
>   the inventors of the RSA algorithm to develop this technology.
>   
>   Because the RSA algorithm has been published in academic journals, most
>   people assume that it is in the public domain, similar to the DES
>   algorithm.  Unfortunately, some people have developed software and
>   other products based on the RSA algorithm without researching this
>   point.  Nevertheless, the patent exists and, in the opinion of our
>   corporate attorneys, will be easily defended.  As RSA Security Inc.
>   paid a great deal of money for the exclusive patent rights, we plan
>   to actively police the commercial use of the RSA algorithm.
>   
>   The purpose of this letter is not to criticize either Mr. Kluepfel or
>   BYTE for his article.  Rather, the purpose is to make you aware of our
>   patent position and ask for your help in educating your readership as
>   to its existence.  Based on Mr. Kluepfel's article, more people are
>   going to start expending money and effort developing RSA-based software
>   for commercial purposes.  Regrettably, their effort will be wasted
>   unless they obtain a sublicense from us.  Therefore, we suggest you
>   publish a reference to our patent in a future issue of BYTE to protect
>   your readers from this lack of knowledge.
>   
> 		Ralph Bennett
> 		President
> 		RSA Security Inc.
> 		Sunnyvale, CA  94087

Well, I was going to post a query to the net about this very
thing.  Before doing so I decided to read a little net.crypt first
(as I do not normally subscribe to this group).  I am glad I did.
I also read a reference to the same thing in the 7/15/85 issue of
Datamation.  It seems that this company (RSA Security) markets
some software called MailSafe for the IBM PC.  It uses RSA
encryption to protect the contents of electronic mail.  I quote
from Datamation (p. 118):
"The RSA Public Key is part of the RSA Public Key Cryptosystem, a
kind of cryptographic envelope that can only be opened by the
specified person using his RSA Private Key.  The vendor has
purchased an exclusive license for this patent from MIT."

What's the story here???  Is there really a patent on the RSA
algorithm?  Is it legitimate?  (i.e., if challenged, would it hold
up?)  Or is there a slight of hand here - note the use of capitals
for everything.  Are we really talking about software, but
leaving the impression that they have patented the algorithm?  How
can anyone patent the mathematical concept of the intractability
of prime factoring?

This seems ludicrous!  Is RSA Security on the net?  How about
Rivest, Shamir, or Adelman?  Are they the principals in RSA
Security?  If so, I would like to hear from them and have this
thing clarified.  I smell Marketing!

The above opinions are solely my own.

-- 
John McNally  Calma  11080 Roselle St. San Diego CA 92121
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