--- begin forwarded text To: cryptography@c2.net Subject: Richard Stallman: Encryption software volunteers needed in countries without export control Date: Wed, 16 Dec 1998 19:35:07 -0500 From: "Perry E. Metzger" <perry@jekyll.piermont.com> Sender: owner-cryptography@c2.net Date: Tue, 8 Dec 1998 03:40:23 -0700 (MST) Message-Id: <gnusenet199812081040.DAA29657@wijiji.santafe.edu> From: Richard Stallman <rms@gnu.org> To: info-gnu@gnu.org Subject: Encryption software volunteers needed in countries without export control [Please re-post this as widely as possible, wherever appropriate] The US has scored a major victory in the global campaign against freedom and privacy rights, by persuading 33 major countries to prohibit export of free encryption software. These countries are the ones that are party to the Wassenaar agreement (see list below). The agreement is not final; putting it into effect would require new laws or regulations in each country, and in some countries it might be possible to organize politically to block this. If you are a citizen of a country listed below, please talk with your legislators and urge them to refuse to ratify the agreement. See www.epic.org for more information. However, anticipating the possibility that these laws will go through, we need to find volunteers in countries which are not signatories to take over development and distribution of encryption software such as the GNU Privacy Guard and PSST. We are looking for (1) an ftp site from which to distribute the software, and (2) people to carry on the development work. If you have contacts in any non-signatory country, please circulate this message as widely as possible in your country, looking for people who might want to volunteer for GNU software development. Non-signatory countries that come to mind as possible places where free encryption software can be developed include Mexico, India, Croatia, China, South Africa, and perhaps Israel. However, any country is ok if its laws do not prevent the work. Big Brother has won a battle, but the war is not over. List of countries signing the Wassenaar agreement: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Luxembourg, Netherland, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom and United States. --- end forwarded text ----------------- Robert A. Hettinga <mailto: rah@philodox.com> Philodox Financial Technology Evangelism <http://www.philodox.com/> 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA "... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity, [predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to experience." -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'