[sclug] OT Looking for interesting stories on copyright etc

[Will Dickson]

Tony Sumner wrote:
> I've always thought it amazing that some US company (?) was able to patent
> the RSA algorithm

This isn't uncommon in crypto - there are a large number of 
algorithms and protocols which are patented. In most cases, 
this means that nobody uses them, although there are some 
patented algos which can do things that the Free 
alternatives can't. (In particular, there are a number of 
single-pass encrypt-and-authenticate algos which are all 
patented - mostly by IBM if memory serves - whereas the free 
alternatives are all two-pass.)

I have to admit that I don't have a beef with these, as a 
rule - IMHO most of them constititute genuine inventions, 
don't attempt illegally to patent prior art, are 
non-obvious, not over-broad, and don't attempt to privatise 
public standards. The majority of the really bollocks s/w 
patents so beloved of US-ian (mostly) weasels fail on every 
one of the above grounds, and ipso facto quite clearly ought 
never to have been granted in the first place.

IIRC RSA-the-company (RSA Data Security Inc, aka RSADSI) 
have formerly claimed rights over ElGamal (one of the other 
viable public-key algos, from a very small pool) as well as 
RSA-the-algo, but under an earlier patent claiming rights 
over all processes based on Diffie-Hellmann key exchange. 
However, I don't think they ever attempted to mug anybody 
based on this theory, and both patents have now expired. 
What a shame :-).

Will.