Re: Patented RFC Code

[Harald Alvestrand <harald at alvestrand.no>]

Lawrence Rosen wrote:
> > > > "Can I take code from a RFC and use it in free software?"
> > > >         
> > > Under the current rules, if it is patented,
> > >       
> > Patented where? Software patents do not exist on my side of the world.
> >     
>
> But they exist on *my* side of the world. And there are laws here that
> prevent the import into the U.S. of infringing products, including in some
> situations the import of essential components of infringing products.
>
> All patents are local, unlike copyright.
>
> I simply can't imagine why we'd create an IETF specification that can't for
> patent reasons be implemented in the U.S. as readily as in other countries.
>   
We've done that before - IPSec and the minimum keylength of 56 bits (DES).
In that case, it was a deliberate protest against a broken policy.

But I suspect that we can't create standards that have that effect in 
this context....

Harald


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