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From: mitch@stride1.UUCP
Newsgroups: sci.crypt,comp.misc
Subject: Re: public key encryption and RSA patent status
Message-ID: <683@stride.Stride.COM>
Date: Wed, 30-Sep-87 13:04:18 EDT
Article-I.D.: stride.683
Posted: Wed Sep 30 13:04:18 1987
Date-Received: Fri, 2-Oct-87 03:05:56 EDT
References: <107@lll-risky.arpa>
Sender: news@stride.Stride.COM
Reply-To: mitch@stride1.UUCP (Thomas P. Mitchell)
Organization: MicroSage Comp. Sys. Inc., 680 S. Rock Blvd, Reno, NV 89502
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Xref: utgpu sci.crypt:548 comp.misc:1209

In article <107@lll-risky.arpa> tjt@lll-tis.arpa (Tim Tessin) writes:
>In article <10307@duke.cs.duke.edu> srt@duke.UUCP (Stephen R. Tate) writes:
>> 
>> Patents?  How about importing such a thing into the US?  Maybe the
>
>Or he doesn't care.  Legally, it is RSA's job to go after him and anyone
>using that "public domain" version.  If they don't, then the patent rights
>can be challenged on the basis that they don't enforce them.  
>What are the chances of getting caught if you are not distributing the 
>stuff?  Probably, close to zero.  We have been

I expect that one of the characteristics of a "good" encryption
scheme is that it is this side of impossible to demonstrate from
the encrypted message which scheme was used to encrypt the
original.  Because of this difficulty I wonder if the patent
holders of RSA could ever prosecute anyone for *using* RSA.  That
difficulty may prove an interesting point should someone try to
take them to task for non-enforcement.

Well, I think that the RSA patent holders need to get off their
duff and get their invention out as a product.  A lot of us would
use it if priced in a reasonable way.

Selling or advertising such a product is another topic.

Thanks for the Soap.

Thomas P. Mitchell (mitch@stride1.Stride.COM)
Phone:	(702) 322-6868 TWX:	910-395-6073
MicroSage Computer Systems Inc. a Division of Stride Micro.
Opinions expressed are probably mine.