December 2003 - cypherpunks-legacy

Multi-drop quantum cryptography article in Nature 385, 47-49 (1997)
by Paul Pomes 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

(Reproduced from <http://www.nature.com>) Eavesdropping on the line Secure electronic communication is becoming increasingly important. In recent years, quantum cryptography has been investigated as a means of detecting eavesdroppers on private lines. When quantum mechanical processes are used to establish the 'key' used for encryption and decryption, any eavesdropping during transmission leads to an unavoidable and detectable disturbance in the received key information. This technique has been demonstrated to be effective on standard communication lines between two users, but Paul D. Townsend now introduces a practical scheme for a multi-user network. This work demonstrates the technical feasibility of quantum cryptography for practical applications. P D Townsend Quantum cryptography on multi-user optical fibre networks (Letter to Nature) Nature 385, 47-49 (1997)

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Re: New US regs ban downloadable data-security software
by Ian Goldberg 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Lucky Green said: > The new US crypto export regulations control the export of most if not all > data-security software. Regardless if the software uses cryptography or > not. Many software archives seem to be in violation of the new regs. > > <snip> > > This certainly controls virus checkers, firewalls, and other security > software. There are substantial penalties involved in violating the EAR. > The US can assess daily penalties and block all exports of a company's > non-violating products. Criminal penalties apply as well. > > "Export", as defined in the new regs, includes making software available on > the web or via ftp. After _very_ careful reading of the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) (though IANAL), it would seem that the above is slightly inaccurate. Although, as Lucky pointed out, virus checkers et al. are indeed regulated for export from the US, and putting software up for ftp or WWW is considered export, the EAR does _not_ apply to "publicly available" software (732.2(b)(1)). Software is publicly available "when it is available for general distribution either for free or at a price that does not exceed the cost of reproduction and distribution" (734.7(b)). Therefore, it would seem that, as long as the security software on your ftp or WWW site is free of cost, it is OK to keep it there. Commercial security software, however, remains export-restricted. NOTE, however, that products that actually do contain cryptography fall under an exception (734.7(c)): "Notwithstanding paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section, note that encryption software controlled under ECCN 5D002 for ``EI'' reasons on the Commerce Control List (refer to Supplement No. 1 to part 774 of the EAR) remains subject to the EAR even when publicly available." The software controlled for EI reasons under 5D002 are described as: "EI controls apply to encryption software transferred from the U.S. Munitions List to the Commerce Control List consistent with E.O. 13026 of November 15, 1996 (61 FR 58767) and pursuant to the Presidential Memorandum of that date. Refer to Sec. 742.15 of the EAR." As virus checkers et al. were not on the Munitions List, they are not controlled for EI (Encryption Items) reasons, but rather for NS (National Security) and AT (Anti-Terrorism) reasons. The RISKS: the government suddenly creating (and putting into effect) new rules covering large amounts of software, without warning or (in my opinion) justification. - Ian "again, IANAL"

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Network Neighbor
by mailbox＠softcell.net 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Dear Neighbor: I selected your name from an Internet Email Provider. Please accept my apologies if I have offended you by sending you this email. I will not send you any more email again. If you read on you will understand why I sent it and will hopefully forgive me if you found this email to be an intrusion of your space. I am part of a small Internet company from San Francisco that recently brought on-line the largest collection of high-end Dungeon toys and apparel in the world. We really are the largest!! We have thousands of items. You won't believe the stuff we sell: HUMAN CAGES, RACKS, LEATHER AND RUBBER STRAIT JACKETS, IRONS, and much more. Some items are so unique and sexually special that it would be inappropriate to mention them in this email. If we don't have it, we can find it or make it! We don't sell cheap Asian imports. In fact, most of those items are cheap imitations of ours. We display our products using provocative and very entertaining interactive pictorials. Along the way, with input and help from our select members, we have added instructional VIDEOS, action VIDEOS, DUNGEON CHAT, PERSONALS, ADVICE COLUMNS, Erotic Photo Contest, Erotic Writing Contest, and one of our most exciting sections, "THE EXOTIC EROTIC BALL" PICTORIAL. This year we sent 10 photographers to San Francisco's Exotic Erotic Ball, the largest adult Halloween Ball in the world. We took over a 1,000 photos. We categorized them into over a dozen sections, including: Breast of the Exotic Erotic, Caught in the Act (People filmed having sex at the ball), Cool Female Costumes, etc.. Our site has grown into the largest Dungeon Fantasy site on the net and in the world. We have developed and grown the site based on our members' requirements. It worked out so well, we decided to let other interested neighbors know about it and share our enjoyment. That is why I have emailed you. We are a small company that now has the largest Dungeon site in the world. We can not afford to do a major PR campaign to share what our members and we have built. So, we selected a few network neighbors like you, in the hope that you might explore our services and then tell others. If you would like to see what we have, please check out our URLs: http://www.sfdungeon.com For Video http://www.dungeonvideo.com For Personals http://www.dungeonpersonals.com You can email me at synder(a)softcell.net Thank you for taking the time to read this letter. Sincerely Ken Synder P.S. Again, if I have offended you with this email, please accept my apologies. I WILL NOT EMAIL YOU AGAIN.

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RE: New US regs ban downloadable data-security software
by Blanc Weber 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

If the 5D002 reasons find no exception for EI under Sec 742.15 (d) inconsistent with E.O. 13026 (61 FR 58767), then does the NS go the way of AT, or this just become a NNI? The RISKS: the government suddenly creating (and putting into effect) new subparagraphs using large numbers of new acronyms, without warning or (in my opinion) justification. .. Blanc (LOL)

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Hello
by services＠p-lenahan.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

I_Love_SPAM, Hi, I was wondering if you market products/services using your computer and would like to learn how to do so QUITE a bit better than what you are already doing?<g> Is so, just say the words (words=MORE ORDERS) and I'll email a free, helpful file about our program! This program is so good that could mean the online marketing difference between scintillating success and frustrating failure. Sincerely, Pat Lenahan

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FREE LONG DISTANCE
by bill＠no.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Dear cypherpunks(a)toad.com, Hi, I saw your posting online and was wondering if FREE LONG DISTANCE could be helpful to you personally or in your business. I am talking about FREE LONG DISTANCE anywhere in the USA, including Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, even the US Virgin Islands. If so, just say YES and I will email you the details that will allow you to keep in touch with customers, prospects and suppliers, friends and family, colleagues and school friends. I am not talking about a bit of free Long Distance for a month, or 2 months or 3 months or even 6 months. I am talking $1,000 EVERY MONTH for 36 MONTHS. I checked theres no typo here. Get $36,000 of FREE long distance. Get the detailed profitable information, and even more (like FREE Toll Free numbers and more) RIGHT NOW! INSTANTLY! Send a blank email to yes(a)sal.lv Sincerely Bill PS Think what it could mean to YOUR BUSINESS to keep in touch with key people and organizations on a regular basis FREE of charge PPS What about personal relationships, how they could improve and strenghten by keeping in touch regularily FREE of charge

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Re: And she's no blond.....
by Rich Graves 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

[joke from article <Sa8f.6014(a)clarinet.com>] Soon you'll be able to count on that kind of personal service from AltaVista, which recently paired with DoubleClick. Look where the banner ads take you now. -rich

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Re: New US regs ban downloadable data-security software
by Lucky Green 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

At 05:45 PM 1/13/97 -0800, Ian Goldberg wrote: >After _very_ careful reading of the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) >(though IANAL), it would seem that the above is slightly inaccurate. [...] >Therefore, it would seem that, as long as the security software on your ftp >or WWW site is free of cost, it is OK to keep it there. Commercial >security software, however, remains export-restricted. I concur with Ian Goldberg's careful analysis (thanks, Ian!) that *freeware* data security software that does not use cryptography is indeed not covered under the new regs. Commercial data security software of any kind, regardless if it uses crypto or not, is however prohibited from being distributed via the Internet or being exported by any other means. Note that such software was explicitly exempt from export regulations under the old ITAR. Now it is explicitly included in the EAR. I fail to see a rationale behind this change. But then, I fail to see the rationale behind the entire ITAR/EAR scheme. As always, IANAL, -- Lucky Green <mailto:shamrock@netcom.com> PGP encrypted mail preferred Make your mark in the history of mathematics. Use the spare cycles of your PC/PPC/UNIX box to help find a new prime. http://www.mersenne.org/prime.htm

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You can now subscr. to the moderated/unmoderated/flames lists
by John Gilmore 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

It's taking a bit longer than we had hoped, but I'm finally getting the toad majordomo configuration set up for the moderation experiment. I have set up majordomo so that you should be able to sub-scribe to the three new cypherpunks mailing lists: cypherpunks the new moderated list cypherpunks-unedited same as it ever was - flames and all cypherpunks-flames the flames that the moderator rejected MODERATION HAS NOT YET BEGUN. At the moment, a subscription to either of the first two lists will get you everything, while a subscription to cypherpunks-flames will get you no postings. ALL CURRENT SUBSCRIBERS ARE STILL SUBSCRIBED TO THE CYPHERPUNKS LIST, which will become the moderated list. I hope most people will stay on it, so we can get some real results from the experiment of having a volunteer moderator for a month. If you want to change your subscription, send mail to <majordomo(a)toad.com>. You can tell it things like: subscribe cypherpunks-unedited (to subscribe to the new unedited list) unsubscribe cypherpunks (to get off the cypherpunks list) which (if confused about which lists(s) you are on) help (if truly confused about majordomo) The software doesn't care if you subscribe to multiple lists, but you will probably only want to subscribe to one of them at once. This means that to CHANGE your subscription you will need to unsubscribe from one list and subscribe to another. I've only briefly looked at the list traffic on the subject of moderation, but there seems to be a misunderstanding. I'm planning to keep the cypherpunks-unedited list around. This will preserve fast turnaround (though it frequently takes many hours to send each posting to each list member -- it isn't *that* fast), and will permit other people to run their own different brands of moderation if they want to put in the effortw. The list I have no use for, and might terminate after trying things for a month, is the flames list. Each message will be processed by immediately sending it to cypherpunks-unedited. The experimental moderator (Sandy) will be on the -unedited list, and will therefore receive all the traffic. He will forward each posting to either the moderated list, or to the -flames list. Note: * The unedited list gets fast turnaround and doesn't require any human action in order to forward a message. * The integrity of the flames list depends on the human moderators; if they drop a message (accidentally or on purpose) then it won't appear on either the moderated or the -flames list. John Gilmore PS: If you're wondering why I said "subscr." and "sub-scribe" it's because majordomo doesn't like messages containing those words in the subject or first five lines. It keeps down the unintended noise from newbies who send subscription requests to the entire list.

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ALA/ACLU file lawsuit challenging NY "CDA" law, from NNN
by Declan McCullagh 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Tue, 14 Jan 1997 08:43:52 -0800 (PST) From: Declan McCullagh <declan(a)well.com> To: fight-censorship(a)vorlon.mit.edu Subject: ALA/ACLU file lawsuit challenging New York "CDA" law [Visit netlynews.com for the rest of the story. Another reason to follow the New York case is that a successful challenge to its "harmful to minors" ban could create a useful precedent in fighting a CDA 2.0, which likely will have such language. --Declan] *********** The Netly News Network http://netlynews.com A Civil (Libertarian) War by Declan McCullagh (declan(a)well.com) January 14, 1997 On a frosty winter morning last February, Shabbir Safdar and a gaggle of VTW loyalists trekked to Albany, New York, to protest a state bill that would muzzle the Net. "This was our first time doing any state-level lobbying," Safdar says. "We managed to convince them to take some stuff out of the law." But his efforts didn't stop the measure from wending its way through the legislature: In September, Governor George Pataki signed it into law. Today the ACLU sued New York State in federal court, charging that the law is unconstitutional. New York now takes its place among two dozen states battling similar local legislation that would criminalize certain forms of Net speech. In Georgia, for instance, merely having an anonymous user name could be illegal. Virginia restricts state employees' rights to view sexually explicit material -- college professors who might want to use the Net in, say, an English lit class have to exercise extreme caution. Forget the Communications Decency Act: A kind of civil war is being waged across half the U.S. The ALA v. Pataki lawsuit, filed in the Southern District of New York, involves 14 plaintiffs including the American Library Association, the American Booksellers Association Foundation for Free Expression, Panix, Echo and the ACLU. The coalition, which is asking for a permanent injunction, maintains that the law unconstitutionally stifles online speech and unduly interferes with interstate commerce. The law amends the penal code by making it a criminal offense punishable by seven years in prison to distribute pictures or text "which (are) harmful to minors." We here at The Netly News are ardent advocates of free speech, of course -- we held a joint teach-in on the New York law in the fall. So I spoke to Ann Beeson, a staff attorney at the ACLU, who's spent the last year attacking other state laws and the CDA in court. Why should netizens care about this law if they don't live in New York? I asked her. "Because New York can extradite you," she replied. But what if it's not a crime where I live? "It doesn't make a difference," Beeson said. "There's no question that New York could try to extradite you if you put up a web site that has material harmful to minors on it." [...]

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