[http://www.pscu.com/Newsbytes/2000/156920.html] New Encryption Regulations Take Effect On Today October 19, 2000 By Brian Krebs, Newsbytes. WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., Published By Newsbytes News Network In the final step toward matching the European Union's recent liberalization of rules governing the export of encryption products, the Commerce Department's Bureau of Export Administration has published a final rule allowing the export of encryption products of any strength to 15 EU nations and eight other trading partners. The announcement cements changes proposed in July, when the Clinton administration said it would relax laws governing the export of powerful encryption technologies to allow exports of all information-scrambling products to any end user in the European Union, as well as Australia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Japan, New Zealand, Norway and Switzerland. The move, designed to match recent shifts in encryption export policy for EU nations, also eliminates the 30-day waiting period that had been imposed on companies exporting encryption goods to EU nations and other trading partners. Instead, companies will now be required to submit a "commodity classification request," and will be allowed to ship products without waiting for a review from federal regulators. Previously, companies could export "retail" - or off-the-shelf - encryption products to nearly any country, except those labeled as terrorist or high-risk nations, such as China and Russia. But for exports of non-retail products, US companies had been required to obtain a license before they can export to the governments of any other country. By contrast, the EU allows companies in its member states to export encryption products without a license to a set list of 25 countries, and makes no distinction as to whether the end-user is a government or non-governmental entity. The new encryption regulations to take effect today eliminate the end user, retail and non-retail considerations for encryption exports destined for roughly 23 common trading partners. For more information on the published regulations, visit http://www.bxa.doc.gov/Encryption/Default.htm Reported by Newsbytes, http://www.newsbytes.com 11:57 CST Reposted 13:59 CST (20001019/WIRES ONLINE, PC, LEGAL, BUSINESS/ENCRYP/PHOTO)