Netscape download requirements

Perry E. Metzger perry at piermont.com
Sat Jul 20 10:00:09 PDT 1996



Jeff Weinstein writes:
> Remo Pini wrote:
> > Why can't anybody in US write a little program that compares the
> > two 4.5 meg install files and make a patcher? (It seems simple to
> > do, is very inconspicuous and of course does not violate the ITAR
> > - although it might violate some copyright stuff, but hey, whos
> > willing to enforce something like that, when it's anonymously
> > posted or mailed)
> 
>   Actually a lawyer once told me that such a patch might be considered
> a "defense repair", and thus be regulated by the ITAR.  I kid you not.
> Your bits would fall into the same bucket as missile parts.  The more
> I learn about ITAR and the way the government tries to link software
> to it, the more amazed I get.

As a practical matter, however, such a piece of software could
circulate widely overseas without the U.S. being able to do anything
about it.

Perry






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