RE: What US companies need to know about RSA

[Michael Robinson]

"Spector, Brian" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
>You know stealing intellectual property is
>the same as shoplifting your local Circle K?  No distinction at all,
>regardless of whatever rational argument you want to put behind it.

In this case, it's more like dumping tea in Boston Harbor.  It's perfectly
straightforward to have an interoperable SSL implementation without
intellectual property encumbrances, and most people would be perfectly happy
to use such an implementation exclusively.

However, due to licensing deals by RSA Data Security with exactly two
(legal) individuals (Microsoft, Netscape), all the rest of everybody is
forced to endure unreasonably onerous licensing terms (as opposed to the
reasonably onerous licensing terms of the Welsh patent) to achieve de facto
interoperability.

This state of affairs wasn't mandated (or even recommended) by a
representative standards body.  It just came to pass by oligarchic fiat.

No taxation without representation.

        -Michael Robinson

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