Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site rlvd.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!mcvax!ukc!warwick!rlvd!asw From: asw@rlvd.UUCP (Antony Williams) Newsgroups: net.crypt Subject: Re: Response from R of RSA Re: patent Message-ID: <805@rlvd.UUCP> Date: Mon, 23-Sep-85 11:25:24 EDT Article-I.D.: rlvd.805 Posted: Mon Sep 23 11:25:24 1985 Date-Received: Fri, 27-Sep-85 06:30:46 EDT References: <1975@ukma.UUCP> <718@vortex.UUCP> <4776@mit-eddie.UUCP> <732@rlvd.UUCP> <566@calmasd.UUCP> Reply-To: asw@rlvd.UUCP (Antony Williams) Organization: Rutherford Appleton Laboratories, Atlas Buildings, U.K. Lines: 65 Xpath: warwick ubu In article <566@calmasd.UUCP> jpm@calmasd.UUCP (John McNally) writes: >>> >I never received Rivest's posting quoted above. Since I >originally requested a response from one of the trio in a previous >article in this newsgroup, I would appreciate it if someone would >re-post the Rivest article or mail me a copy. I wonder what >happened? I managed to find a copy, appended here: Subject: Response from R of RSA Re: patent Message-ID: <4776@mit-eddie.UUCP> Date: 25 Jul 85 15:16:05 GMT Date-Received: 2 Aug 85 08:49:17 GMT References: <1975@ukma.UUCP> <718@vortex.UUCP> Reply-To: rivest%mc@mit-eddie.UUCP (Ronald L. Rivest) Organization: MIT, Cambridge, MA Lines: 39 Xpath: warwick ubu To: Whom It May Concern >From: Ronald L. Rivest NE43-324, 545 Technology Square, MIT Laboratory for Computer Science Cambridge Mass. 02139 (Phone: 617-253-5880, ARPA: RIVEST@MIT-MC) Date: July 22, 1985 Re: RSA Patent This letter is in response to a number of inquiries that were received regarding the RSA cryptosystem, stimulated by recent articles and letters in BYTE magazine (and elsewhere). Yes, the RSA cryptosystem is patented, by MIT. The U.S. patent number is 4,405,829. To my knowledge there are no foreign patents. If you read the patent, you will discover that it is not an "algorithm" patent. It does not matter how (i.e. with what algorithm) the RSA computation is performed, only that the cryptographic communications system has black boxes for doing that computation. I believe the patent is well-drafted and would stand up to challenge easily. It covers both software and hardware implementations. MIT has granted an exclusive sublicense on the patent to a new company called "RSA Security, Inc.". This company was founded by the inventors of the RSA cryptosystem (myself, Adi Shamir, and Len Adleman). The objective of the company is to commercialize and exploit the RSA cryptosystem, through a variety of techniques, including direct end-user product sales (software systems such as COMSAFE (TM) and MAILSAFE (TM) for the IBM PC), sales custom chips for performing RSA computations, consulting for integrating RSA into applications, joint venture arrangements, sublicenses, standards, etc. RSA Security is eager to work with those who have an interest in using the RSA cryptosystem. If you would like more information, please contact either myself or Ralph Bennett President, RSA Security Inc. 1717 Karameos Drive Sunnyvale, California 94087 (408) 730-8701 -- -------------------------------------------------- UK JANET: asw@uk.ac.rl.vd Usenet: {... | mcvax}!ukc!rlvd!asw ARPAnet: asw%rlvd@ucl-cs.arpa Brought to you by Super Global Mega Corp .com