Netscape to patch shareware version

[Christian Wettergren]

| Meanwhile, in an as yet unannouced move, the company said it would place 
| its commercial browser online for free downloading. [..] THe commercial
| version, sold only in the U.S. contains an unbreakable 128-bit
| encryption scheme. 

Hurray! We did it! We did it! :-)

| Netscape said it received word last week that the State Department had 
| cleared that version for release on the Net, but only within the U.S., 
| owing to current export laws banning the export of encryption schemes 
| stronger than 40 bits.  THe company could provide no details by press 
| time on how it would ensure that the 128-bit version wouldn't leak beyond 
| U.S. borders.

Ok, any bet on how long it will take?

| The cypherpunks forced a situation where Net users now have better 
| encryption available to them.  I'd say this is a big win.

The power of the Net is actually quite astonishing at times. The
plotting in Ender's Game isn't all that unrealistic after all. (Oh,
well, ruler of the world is a bit of still. ;-))

/Christian