RE: RSA, PGP IN LEGAL FLAP OVER ENCRYPTION TECHNOLOGY

This really came as no surprise to anyone who deals with RSA. Note I am only talking for myself when I write this, but there is a LOT of money to be made by someone (certicom?) if they can give a cross-platform rsa type solution. I mean RSA has a fairly good product,but I can name at elase two other companies who've had this exact same problem with cross-licensing.

Really, does RSA expect Netscape or Microsoft to re-license every time they allow an oem to repackage thier products into or as part of a suite of programs with a third party vendor? RSA has a bunch of bullies at thier helm. They should realize that pulling this kind of crap will only make people jump ship faster when another company comes calling with a similar product and less restrictive licensing. 

I think that RSA should also realize that without PGP, their market would be much smaller, I think every time RSA licenses thier (now renewed) patents, they should think of Phil. I don't mean to saint the guy here or anything, but they owe him a debt that is difficult to quantify. By suing PGP they are basically saying , if I can extrapolate in a rather extreme manner, "privacy is okay, but only if we make money at it." 

And keep in mind , I don't begrudge RSA thier right to make money off thier intellectual property, but suing your customers except in the most extreme situations should be seen as a warning sign to the industry that to deal with RSA as a vendor is to take a risk that may be dangerous. 

    Chris DiBona
    dibona@acm.org

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In <01BC5ED2.4E86C710@marmoset.loc201.tandem.com>, on 05/12/97 at 12:45 PM,
   Chris DiBona <dibona@acm.org> said:


>I think that RSA should also realize that without PGP, their market would
>be much smaller, I think every time RSA licenses thier (now renewed)
>patents, they should think of Phil. I don't mean to saint the guy here or
>anything, but they owe him a debt that is difficult to quantify. By suing
>PGP they are basically saying , if I can extrapolate in a rather extreme
>manner, "privacy is okay, but only if we make money at it." 

I would extrapolate a little different:

"thanks Phil for putting us on the map, now bend over and grab your ankles"



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