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SubjectRe: Encrypted filesystem - getting off-topic

(bcc: linux-kernel, so it doesn't get followed up on the list. Sorry if
this breaks peoples mail filtering - it does mine.)

> On Fri, 31 Jan 1997, David Schwartz wrote:
> I think being unable to mirror the linux kernel source on US
> servers would be a pretty severe price to pay.
>
> > On Fri, 31 Jan 1997, Stephan Meyer wrote:
> > web page. AFAIK those patches sadly never made it into the main stream
> > kernel. As I understand it is allowed to import cryptography to USA and
> > since the main kernel distribution site is in Finnland that shouldnt be a
> > problem. You can get the patches for 2.1.22 from:
>

But then again, aren't the US mirrors mainly for users within the US? In
that case, they're allowed to download it. Anyone outside the US should be
able to find a closer mirror.

What's the likelihood of anyone actually doing anything about it, though -
AFAIK we could technically still be hanged here in the UK for making
derogatory remarks about the Queen, according to the law, but there's no
chance of any idiot actually trying to enforce it. Would not the same
apply to such out-of-date legislation in the US? Has anyone been
threatened with legal action on this point, or is everyone just being
over-careful? After all, it would be crazy to prosecute someone for making
something available that's already available worldwide.


Incidentally, if there is such software on a machine within the US, and I
download it, who has committed the offence? Surely simply having software
on the machine isn't an offence, so it has to be me who's to blame?

So if it's the person outside the US who has committed the offence by
initiating the transfer, there's not really a problem. After all, the US
government are hardly going to try to prosecute foreigners for downloading
software that's available worldwide, simply because it came through the
U.S, are they?

What about downloading from Europe to other American countries, if the
IP traffic goes through routers in the US? That's illegal, too, isn't it?
So anyone downloading encrytion patches should first traceroute to the
machine they're copying from and check that it doesn't get routed through
the US!

P.S. While we're on the subject, I've lost the URL of the site that keeps
the US versions of netscape, and I'd like to upgrade to 3.01 - could
someone send it to me, please (not to the list).

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David Woodhouse, WWW: http://dwmw2.robinson.cam.ac.uk
Robinson College, Email: dwmw2@cam.ac.uk
Cambridge, Tel: +44 (0) 976 658355
CB3 9AN, (n)talk: dwmw2@dwmw2.robinson.cam.ac.uk
England. PGP KEY: finger pgp@dwmw2.robinson.cam.ac.uk
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