Public key patents in Europe?

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4 total messages Started by Vesselin Bontchev Mon, 12 Oct 1992 19:57

#1143

Author: Vesselin Bontchev
Date: Mon, 12 Oct 1992 19:57

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I know that this is probably the wrong group to ask, but
nevertheless, here it goes.

From the RSA FAQ, page 4, answer to question 1.5:

"The authors of patent 4,218,582 claim that it applies to all uses of
public-key cryptography. It has been patented throughout the world."

The claims in patent 4,218,582 cover any use of public key
cryptosystems - regardless of the method used. Seems that the whole
idea is patented. (Please do not start a flame war about how stupid a
patent law that permits an algorithm to be patented is.)

What bothers me are the words "throughout the world". Till now, I
thought that it only applies in the USA. So I asked the following
question to the editor of the RSA FAQ:

> Could you please quote some other countries (besides the USA),
> where public-key cryptography has been patented? Please, state
> the particular patent numbers.

In his reply, Paul Fahn wrote:

> I do not currently have the exact information. I know that it is
> patented "in Europe" but don't have the number. If there are others
> asking for this information, I will try to find out and add it to
> later revisions of the faq.

Well, so I am asking those of you who are "in Europe": do you have any
information about the above? Could you tell me in which countries
exactly public-key cryptography is patented and which are the patent
numbers? Thanks in advance.

Regards,
Vesselin
-- 
Vesselin Vladimirov Bontchev          Virus Test Center, University of Hamburg
Tel.:+49-40-54715-224, Fax: +49-40-54715-226      Fachbereich Informatik - AGN
< PGP 2.0 public key available on request. > Vogt-Koelln-Strasse 30, rm. 107 C
e-mail: bontchev@fbihh.informatik.uni-hamburg.de    D-2000 Hamburg 54, Germany

Re: Public key patents in Europe?

#1134

Author: Arthur Rubin
Date: Mon, 12 Oct 1992 22:03

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In <bontchev.718919860@fbihh> bontchev@fbihh.informatik.uni-hamburg.de (Vesselin Bontchev) writes:

>Well, so I am asking those of you who are "in Europe": do you have any
>information about the above? Could you tell me in which countries
>exactly public-key cryptography is patented and which are the patent
>numbers? Thanks in advance.

My understanding, from reading comp.patents, is that RSA is unpatentable in
countries other than the USA, because it was published (in Scientific
American, no less) before the patent was applied for.
--
Arthur L. Rubin: a_rubin@dsg4.dse.beckman.com (work) Beckman Instruments/Brea
216-5888@mcimail.com 70707.453@compuserve.com arthur@pnet01.cts.com (personal)
My opinions are my own, and do not represent those of my employer.
My interaction with our news system is unstable; please mail anything important.

(was: Re: Public key patents in Europe?)

#1153

Author: Ken Pizzini
Date: Mon, 12 Oct 1992 22:52

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In article <bontchev.718919860@fbihh> bontchev@fbihh.informatik.uni-hamburg.de writes:
>From the RSA FAQ, page 4, answer to question 1.5:
>
>"The authors of patent 4,218,582 claim that it applies to all uses of
>public-key cryptography. It has been patented throughout the world."

Okay, this is the second time I've heard this, and it doesn't make
sense to me.  I thought Diffie and Hellman invented (and published)
public-key cryptography before RSA was invented?  Do I have a
misunderstanding (feel free to correct me), or is it just PKC that
is based on the difficulty of factoring that is covered by the PKP
patent?  (Or did I misidentify the patent number above?)

		--Ken Pizzini

Re: Public key patents in Europe?

#1161

Author: Robert Cain
Date: Tue, 13 Oct 1992 06:31

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bontchev@fbihh.informatik.uni-hamburg.de (Vesselin Bontchev) writes:
: 
: The claims in patent 4,218,582 cover any use of public key
: cryptosystems - regardless of the method used. Seems that the whole
: idea is patented. (Please do not start a flame war about how stupid a
: patent law that permits an algorithm to be patented is.)

This is claim 1 and would be damned hard to uphold since they already
had patented a way of doing this in 4,200,770 without the sweeping
claim.

Bob
-- 
Bob Cain    rcain@netcom.com   408-358-2007

"There are some strings.  They're just not attached."
                                                    Victoria Roberts


               PGP 1.0 or 2.0 public key available on request.

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