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From: gnome@oliveb.UUCP
Newsgroups: sci.crypt
Subject: Re: Closing the Barn Door, American Style
Message-ID: <575@oliveb.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 27-Feb-87 18:33:52 EST
Article-I.D.: oliveb.575
Posted: Fri Feb 27 18:33:52 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 1-Mar-87 15:23:51 EST
References: <4247@utcsri.UUCP>
Organization: Olivetti ATC; Cupertino, Ca
Lines: 22

in article <4247@utcsri.UUCP>, outer@utcsri.UUCP (Richard Outerbridge) says:
> 
> 	In January, Mr. Shamir received a letter from the U.S. Commerce
> Department telling him he faced prosecution if he disclosed information
> about his findings.
> 
> Hey!  You Americans!!  What's going >on< down there?
> -- 
> Richard Outerbridge	<outer@utcsri.UUCP>	 (416) 961-4757

Well, it can best be described as rampant bureaucratic stupidity.

There has been a drastic swing towards implementing legal solutions
to technical problems.  This, of course, only screws-up the R&D incentive
in many fields of research, as well as generally hampering creative
communication between the various institutions of higher learning.

But, hey!  It keeps the lawyers busy!

And that's all that really counts...

Gary