Re: TLS 1.0 "draft-ietf-tls-protocol-01.txt" Now Available

Tom and all,

Tom Libert wrote:
> 
> At 09:17 AM 3/7/97 -0800, David Brownell -- JavaSoft wrote:
> >> Date: Fri, 7 Mar 1997 10:27:29 -0500
> >> From: dpkemp@missi.ncsc.mil (David P. Kemp)
> >>
> >> Perhaps you should check with RSADSI to see if they still regard RC4 as
> >> an "unpublished work", despite the fact that it leaked out some time ago.
> >
> >I believe the answer is "yes", so anyone (at least in the US) who
> >wants to ship an "RC4-compatible" cipher should have lawyers ready.
> >(The name "RC4" is probably trademarked, regardless of the secrecy
> >of that algorithm.)
> 
> >From Schneier, p. 398: "The name is trademarked, so anyone who writes his
> own code has to call it something else....RSA Data Security, Inc. will almost
> certainly sue anyone who uses unlicensed RC4 in a commercial product.
> They probably won't win, but they will certainly make it cheaper for a company
> to license than fight."
> 
> RC4 appears to be a strong cipher.  The TLS protocol should clearly
> not mandate the use of proprietary ciphers, but neither should it
> prohibit their use.

  I agree with this evaluation.  It should be included.
> --
> Tom Libert                    tel: 508.485.5235 x286
> Gradient Technologies, Inc.   fax: 508.229.0338
> 2 Mount Royal Avenue          http://www.gradient.com
> Marlborough, MA  01752

-- 
Jeffrey A. Williams
DIR. Internet Network Eng/SR. Java Development Eng.
Information Eng. Group. 
Phone :913-294-2375 (temporary)
E-Mail jwkckid1@ix.netcom.com

Received on Friday, 7 March 1997 15:04:00 UTC