RSA has a patent on their algorithm. It's quite likely that I can't even create a key pair without their permission, let alone use it.
I am not familiar with the legal status of patents and software packages, but it seems to me that they can sell you a program and license you to use it, but forcing you to use one of their key servers instead of your own seems pretty far fetched. I would be very surprised if the law is clear cut on this issue, or has ever been tested. I gather software licenses are pretty hazy territory at the best of times without getting involved in patent law as well !@#$ david
David Clunie says:
RSA has a patent on their algorithm. It's quite likely that I can't even create a key pair without their permission, let alone use it.
I am not familiar with the legal status of patents and software packages, but it seems to me that they can sell you a program and license you to use it, but forcing you to use one of their key servers instead of your own seems pretty far fetched.
Anyway, RSADSI released RSAREF toolkit free for non-commercial use. RIPEM (with RSAREF bundled in :-) allows you to create as many key pairs as your soul wishes. And surprise, you are allowed to use them... So let's face real problems, rather than RSA patent (which hopefully will expire by itself :-). -- Regards, Uri uri@watson.ibm.com scifi!angmar!uri N2RIU ----------- <Disclamer>
From cypherpunks-request Fri Jan 15 15:51:35 1993
participants (2)
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dclunie＠pax.tpa.com.au -
uri＠watson.ibm.com