New crypto regulations

David Lesher / hated by RBOC's in 5 states wb8foz at wauug.erols.com
Mon Dec 30 12:30:42 PST 1996


Hal Finney sez:
> 
> In this light, the explicit exemption for printed materials is really
> quite welcome.  It has never been 100% clear that a book of source code
> is exportable.  Yes, we've had some favorable court cases recently but
> none of these have been fully resolved.  Rumors were posted here that
> the NSA came very close to trying to stop the export of the original PGP
> source code book from MIT Press (and supposedly arranged for MIT to be
> punished later for its audacity).

My uncharitable side says that is because they wanted to stay as far
away from cries of "book-banning" as they could. If nothing else, IN
THAT NARROW CASE, reason prevailed over fervor.

And I caution against thinking in terms of "NSA did" in favor of
"Under FBI pressure, NSA did" just to remind ourselves where the
real battle lies..... 

-- 
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