🚀 go-pugleaf

I'm no fan of AT&T, but in everyone's headlong rush to proclaim MIT
the hero of free software and AT&T the evil bully, many have forgotten
the RSA patent.

The RSA patent prevents the the use of a simple mathematical
algorithm for the purposes of encryption. MIT licenses this patent to
RSA Data Securities, whose purpose is to make money off it.

Without this patent, which certainly comes under the kind the FSF
wishes to abolish, we would have widespread secure Email. You'd be
able to authenticate your identity to anyone you wished. Many privacy
issues would become moot, because it would no longer be easy to spy on
one's personal business.

The software technology to do it existed six years ago. It's likely
the common user won't see it for another three or four years, and it
won't be free when it comes.

If MIT wanted to make a real contribution, they should disclaim the
patent on RSA. X-windows was a great contribution. RSA could affect
hundreds of times more people, and provide a simple worldwide *free*
standard for secure communications.

But no, MIT the institution chose to make money by monopolizing a
simple mathematical formula. In my book, this is just as screwed at as
what AT&T is trying to do.

If RSA wants to sell your site privacy enhanced email, or any
licensing of their one-line mathematical forumula, boycott them. It
won't be as much fun as calling AT&T and telling them why they're not
your long distance carrier anymore, but it'll further the cause of
abolishing software patents and their rewards.

Sean

-- 
** Sean Casey  <sean@s.ms.uky.edu>