Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version VT1.00C 11/1/84; site vortex.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!harvard!talcott!panda!genrad!decvax!vortex!lauren
From: lauren@vortex.UUCP (Lauren Weinstein)
Newsgroups: net.crypt
Subject: Re: Response from R of RSA Re: patent
Message-ID: <721@vortex.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 25-Jul-85 17:06:37 EDT
Article-I.D.: vortex.721
Posted: Thu Jul 25 17:06:37 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 28-Jul-85 05:11:50 EDT
References: <4776@mit-eddie.UUCP>
Organization: Vortex Technology, Los Angeles
Lines: 7

That would seem to tell the story pretty clearly.  They went one
step beyond the "algorithm" patents sometimes used, and instead
patented the underlying concept, which covers all algorithms 
which relate to that concept.  This would seem to pretty clearly
indicate that "ideas" such as RSA can be granted patents.

--Lauren--