Paul Koning 1695 wrote:
From: Paul Jackman <jacktech@delphi.com> Newgroups: talk.politics.crypto Subject: Re: Elementrix One-Time Pad .. The algorithm will be published when patent protection is assured. It is currently patent pending in several countries.
I saw that comment earlier. It's rather a curious statement, given that the rule of publication vs. patents is that publication before FILING kills your ability to get the patent (in most countries) whereas publication after filing but before grant is not an issue at all. This explains why you often see a mad scramble in companies when something patentable is about to be announced at a trade show, or explained in a white paper... the filing has to be in the mail before that happens. But only just before... whether the patent office takes days or years to grant the patent doesn't matter.
I would guess that they are choosing to be cautious so that if their patent is rejected they can still maintain it as a trade secret. --Jeff -- Jeff Weinstein - Electronic Munitions Specialist Netscape Communication Corporation jsw@netscape.com - http://home.netscape.com/people/jsw Any opinions expressed above are mine.