Zimmermann case is dropped.

[Ed Carp [khijol SysAdmin]]

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> 	   We've made no progress. Phil has lots lots of time and gained
>    lots of grey hairs, and everyone who donated to his defense fund lost
>    money.
> 
> To the contrary, Phil won big.  He avoided going to Federal court as the
> defendant in a felony case.  That's what matters most.  Yes, a lot of
> time, money and effort was spent reaching this outcome, but none of it
> was wasted.
> 
> 	   The US can still harass people if they want, and make their
>    life hell.
> 
> Of course they can; they're the U.S. government.  No possible outcome of
> Phil's case would have changed this fact.  If the Federal government
> wishes to make your life miserable they can always do so.
> 
> The legal challenges to the ITAR regulations will continue forward in
> the various Federal courts, but that fight will no longer be on Phil
> Zimmermann's back.  

Mike Godwin can speak to this a lot better than I can, but I believe that 
by abandoning their case against PRZ, they have seriously weakened their 
case against anyone else that they feel has violated the ITAR in a 
similar manner - it's called "selective enforcement" and courts have been 
taking a dim view of that sort of thing.

I predict that you will start seeing a *lot* of crypto software showing up
on FTP sites within the next 24-48 hours, as news of this spreads. 
- --
Ed Carp, N7EKG    			Ed.Carp at linux.org, ecarp at netcom.com
					214/993-3935 voicemail/digital pager
					800/558-3408 SkyPager
Finger ecarp at netcom.com for PGP 2.5 public key		an88744 at anon.penet.fi

"Past the wounds of childhood, past the fallen dreams and the broken families,
through the hurt and the loss and the agony only the night ever hears, is a
waiting soul.  Patient, permanent, abundant, it opens its infinite heart and
asks only one thing of you ... 'Remember who it is you really are.'"

                    -- "Losing Your Mind", Karen Alexander and Rick Boyes

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