Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!henry
From: henry@utzoo.UUCP (Henry Spencer)
Newsgroups: sci.crypt,comp.misc
Subject: Re: public key encryption and RSA patent status
Message-ID: <8640@utzoo.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 22-Sep-87 12:37:28 EDT
Article-I.D.: utzoo.8640
Posted: Tue Sep 22 12:37:28 1987
Date-Received: Tue, 22-Sep-87 12:37:28 EDT
References: <1372@osiris.UUCP> <441@polyslo.UUCP> <686@sugar.UUCP>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
Lines: 14
Keywords: RSA patent

>   Whether or not this rather ridiculous patent holds up in court...

Why is it ridiculous?  If one ignores the minutiae of US patent law for
the moment, RS&A clearly have produced an honest-to-God invention:  a
useful idea that is neither obvious nor in the domain of natural law.
(Nature may have supplied the properties of the integers, but using them
for encryption is strictly a human concept.)  They *should* be able to
patent it and have the patent hold up in court.  Now, it's not clear that
they *can* under current patent law, but that's another issue.  Is there
any reason for considering the idea "ridiculous" other than the
spoiled-brat desire to use their invention without paying royalties?
-- 
"There's a lot more to do in space   |  Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
than sending people to Mars." --Bova | {allegra,ihnp4,decvax,utai}!utzoo!henry