Re: libelous action
At 02:57 AM 8/27/96 -0400, Black Unicorn wrote:
I would remind you that each and every sale you make of this product, when based on material misrepresentation, constitutes a fraud. If made by wire, as these sales seem they may, they represent wire fraud. That's one count of fraud and one count of wire fraud. If a check is sent to you via mail, that's a count of mail fraud to boot.
Wow, imagine what would happen if a bunch of "in-the-know" folks bought a product like this under the claims to strong crypto and then found out they were fooled! With charges like these a guy could get into real trouble. I sure hope Mr. Holt isn't personally accountable. He sounds like a real swell guy. It would be a shame for him to go to prison for what is obviously his misunderstanding of what is cryptographically strong and what is a pitiful excuse for a product. Of course I've never seen his product so I don't know which category it falls into, but it would be a shame. Disclaimer: I may or may not be serious. I have made no direct claims so whose to say what my intentions are in posting this ;\) Jim Sewell - Programmer Tantalus Inc. jims@tansoft.com Key West, FL 33040 Amateur Radio: KD4CKQ 801 Eisenhower Drive Compu$erve: 71061,1027 Multi-player computer games
Black Unicorn <unicorn@schloss.li> comments,
I might note that the FTC is showing increased interest in cryptography products and the claims of their marketers.
Hmm, can we get FTC and NSA to fight: if NSA says that a product may be exported, maybe FTC won't let the seller claim it is capable of protecting data. Intresting. Martin Minow minow@apple.com
On Wed, 28 Aug 1996, James C. Sewell wrote:
At 02:57 AM 8/27/96 -0400, Black Unicorn wrote:
I would remind you that each and every sale you make of this product, when
based on material misrepresentation, constitutes a fraud. If made by
wire, as these sales seem they may, they represent wire fraud. That's one
count of fraud and one count of wire fraud. If a check is sent to you via
mail, that's a count of mail fraud to boot.
Wow, imagine what would happen if a bunch of "in-the-know" folks bought
a product like this under the claims to strong crypto and then found out
they were fooled! With charges like these a guy could get into real trouble.
I sure hope Mr. Holt isn't personally accountable. He sounds like a
real swell guy. It would be a shame for him to go to prison for what is
obviously his misunderstanding of what is cryptographically strong and
what is a pitiful excuse for a product.
This would depend on whether Mr. Holt had made a reasonable assessment of the claims made by the author of the product before claiming that the product was exceptional or "unbreakable." I might note that the FTC is showing increased interest in cryptography products and the claims of their marketers.
Of course I've never seen his product so I don't know which category it
falls into, but it would be a shame.
Disclaimer: I may or may not be serious. I have made no direct claims
so whose to say what my intentions are in posting this ;\)
Jim Sewell - Programmer Tantalus Inc.
jims@tansoft.com Key West, FL 33040
Amateur Radio: KD4CKQ 801 Eisenhower Drive
Compu$erve: 71061,1027 Multi-player computer games
-- I hate lightning - finger for public key - Vote Monarchist unicorn@schloss.li
participants (3)
-
Black Unicorn -
James C. Sewell -
Martin Minow