LYNX-DEV dodging the gun

[Philip Webb]

[ in view of recent -- continual -- discussion about Lynx & encryption,
lynx-devers may be interested in the following brief news item ]

Financial Times (London) 980321
   
US group side-steps encryption export restrictions
 -- Louise Kehoe, San Francisco
   
Network Associates (US), a leading developer of security software, has found
a way to side-step US export curbs on strong encryption & yesterday began
offering its product in international markets.  It has contracted with CnLab
(Rapperswil, Switzerland) to create software "functionally equivalent"
to Pretty Good Privacy, incorporating  128-bit  encryption.
   
NA claims it is in "full compliance" with US laws, because the Swiss PGP was
developed outside the US, without technical assistance from the US company
& will be sold in Europe & Asia by NA's Dutch subsidiary.  Richard Hornstein,
VP legal affairs, said NA has held meetings with officials at US Commerce Dept
to reveal its plans & so far Commerce has not raised any legal objections.
   
NA's move is a serious challenge to the Administration's stance on encryption
& is likely to come under close scrutiny: a similar plan by Sun Microsystems
has been tied up in challenges by Commerce.  NA believes it has avoided
legal problems by ensuring Cnlab obtained no technical assistance from the US
& that there is no US ownership of Cnlab, whereas Sun holds  10 %
in the Russian group developing its `non-US' encryption product.
   
  Network Associates --  www.ltbn.com/network/index.html
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