IP: more on Interesting re Encryption Technology Limits Eased

[David Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>]

> X-Sender: >X-Sender: brett@localhost
> Date: Fri, 17 Sep 1999 11:31:18 -0600
> To: farber () cis upenn edu, ip-sub-1 () admin listbox com
> From: Brett Glass <brett () lariat org>
> Subject: Re: IP: Interesting  re Encryption Technology Limits Eased
>
> At 10:01 AM 9/17/99 -0400, David Farber wrote:
>
> > > http://www.wired.com/news/news/politics/story/21810.html
> > >  Decoding the Crypto Policy Change
> > >  3:00 a.m. Why did the White House suddenly change its mind on
> > >  regulating encryption? It couldn't be because the NSA has
> > >  changed its spying agenda. Or could it? A Wired News
> > >  perspective by Declan McCullagh.
> > >
> > > -Declan
>
> There are other very interesting features to the proposed policy
> changes. First, the government still gets to "vet" all products
> containing encryption before they're shipped overseas -- a
> prior restraint on free speech, according to Federal judge
> Marilyn Patel. (What's more, the criteria that will be used to
> determine whether export is permitted or denied have not been
> specified. Will products which are "too good" be stalled or
> rejected?)  Second, the government gets a complete list of
> each vendor's overseas customers. Talk about business intelligence!
> It's odd that, while a stated goal of the policy change is to protect
> American businesses from industrial espionage, this compulsory
> disclosure of vital proprietary information seems to be its antithesis.
>
> --Brett Glass