On Sat, 27 Jul 2019 12:28:32 -0500 John Hasler <jhas...@newsguy.com> wrote:
> Stefan writes: > > My understanding is that export of *source code* is allowed... > > Only *published* source code. > > > And Free Software squeezes in-between because someone was sane > > enough to realize that whether `make` is run before exporting or > > after exporting doesn't make any difference to the end result. > > If that level of sanity existed in the export control bureaucracy most > of their rules would not exist. It's based on the concept that only Americans can write software: it's not a problem for the rest of the world to know how strong encryption works, because only Americans are able to write software to do it, and they're not allowed to export it. Just as well, really, because only American encryption software writers can be leaned on by the US government... I do recall a time when even source code could only be exported in physically printed form, not in electronic form, and PGP was distributed abroad as a book. -- Joe
