🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1992Dec17.215901.1948@netcom.com> strnlght@netcom.com (David Sternlight) writes:
>
[cheap shot at law professor deleted]

>This means the ethical position is still unchanged in this discussion. Using
>PGP in the US. is wronging the patent holders and violating the Munitions Act.
>

Ethically I don't have a problem.  If the government gets to use it for
free because tax-payers paid for the research, then so should I...

>Even for those who have no ethical concerns, suppose you were known to use it.
>It might jeopardize your ability to pass the scrutiny needed to obtain
>government employment, receive government research funds, or work on
>government contracts if somebody, somewhere, has a note in a file about you
>"violated Munitions Act." And you'd never know. Something to think about. Life
>is long, government files last forever, and some of the Yippees of the '60's
>now have government jobs.
>

I'd be more concerned about your reputation.  I'm sure you've set off a flag
somewhere: "You know that group of no good Yippees that post to 
alt.security.pgp, well I think they have a new leader.  Some guy named
David Sternlight has posted 63 messages in the last 48 hours.  I think
something is going down!"

>
>My position is clear. RSA has patents on a wonderful invention and they are
>entitled to the fruits of their work. To cheat them of those fruits is wrong,
>regardless of the legal situation outside the US., or whether one will get
>caught or not.
>

Agreed if they did it all themselves with their own capital, on their
own time....

>Now a word to my colleagues all over the world. Though you may be able to (or
>think you may be able to) use PGP with impunity, why not voluntarily send RSA
>a reasonable contribution for their invention--think of it as a shareinvention
>fee analogous to a shareware fee. Say $20. A large number of such gestures
>might change the context of the situation overnight. Note that this is my
>personal suggestion, and I have not discussed it with anyone.

So now we've come full circle.  The first post was from a guy that would
have loved to just send RSA(or PKP, whoever) $20.00 to be able to use
PGP "legally" What does he get for trying to be a nice guy?  A bunch of
legal double talk and one huge flame war.... :D

Merry Christmas!

-- 
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  Linux Rules!                              woody@cs.utexas.edu
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