clean machine

Can anyone tell me if a person could expect to encounter any difficulty
with US Customs if they leave the US with PGP on a lap top machine? Would
you be questioned about the contents of your machine? Would you be obliged
to demonstrate that the machine was "clean" before it would be permitted to
leave the country? Would a person be compelled to divulge the contents of
any floppy disks in their possession before leaving the country with them?

Perhaps the prudent thing to do is download PGP to your machine after
leaving the US.
I must take a decision on this matter in a few months. Any advice would be
appreciated.

Cordially, rarab

At 12:25 PM 09/26/1997 -0700, rarab@buffnet.net wrote:
>Can anyone tell me if a person could expect to encounter any difficulty
>with US Customs if they leave the US with PGP on a lap top machine? Would
>you be questioned about the contents of your machine? 

If you're wearing a suspicious-looking RSA t-shirt and carrying lots of
computer stuff, they may ask.  If not, they probably won't unless you 
make an issue of it.  As far as the law goes, there's some sort of exception
for taking out software for personal use that you're planning to bring back,
and not give away to anybody while you're gone.  You have to keep a log of
the times you've done it, but don't have to produce it when leaving.
You may have to be a US citizen to use this.


				Thanks!
					Bill
Bill Stewart, stewarts@ix.netcom.com
Regular Key PGP Fingerprint D454 E202 CBC8 40BF  3C85 B884 0ABE 4639