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

Glad to see the draft available!!


> 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 an "unpublished work", despite the fact that it leaked out some time ago.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.)

Now, is this foolishness?  Trying to claim Trade Secret protection
for something that's clearly not a secret?  Yes.  But it's lawyers
and judges which have to agree on that, not mere mortals.  I don't
know that the IETF wants to fund those lawyers.  If it does, that'd
be very good news.

- Dave