

	Hmmm.  "Check your facts."  Good advice.  Let's check Mr. Cain's
facts a bit, shall we?



FACT:  It is unlawful to distribute code implementing RSA without a license
to do so from PKP, whether or not one is charging for it.  Furthermore,
any use of RSA, other than for research purposes allowed under US patent
law, is similarly unlawful.  Therefore, the "average citizen" cannot use
RSA to encrypt message traffic in the US without a license from PKP.

There is no licensed, freely available product in the US that uses RSA
encryption other than RSAREF (and hence RIPEM), at least as far as I am
aware.  If you know of another, please post it here.


FACT:  The last contact I had with RSA Data Security, Inc was with some
guy trying to sell me a license (unsolicited, I might add) for TIPEM.
Cost: $15K plus 2-5 percent royalties.

I suppose it is a matter of opinion as to whether or not these terms count
as "mucho bucks" or "incredibly reasonable."  Either way, however, this
definitely falls into the "routines *they* tell you to (use)".


FACT:  There are no restrictions (yet!) on the use of cryptography under
US law, although this is beginning to look like it will change.  The only
impediments to widespread use of RSA cryptography in the US are PKP's
patents.

	Mr. Cain, please shut up until you get your facts straight.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
	"Better than the whole world be destroyed and crumble to dust than
a free man deny one of his desires."
		-Benito Mussolini, Italian anarchist and poet.