FC: DOJ says Bernstein encryption case is moot, should be dismissed

From: Declan McCullagh (declanat_private)
Date: Mon Oct 21 2002 - 19:45:44 PDT

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    Earlier Politech message:
    
    "Bernstein can post source code, say Feds, from Reuters"
    http://www.politechbot.com/p-00950.html
    
    ---
    
     > PRESS RELEASE
     >
     > Contact: Daniel J. Bernstein, press-20021018at_private
     >
     >
     > GOVERNMENT BACKS AWAY FROM CRYPTO REGULATIONS
     >
     > San Francisco, 18 October 2002 - The government today told a federal
     > court that several portions of the current encryption regulations would
     > not be enforced.
     >
     > The regulations are being challenged by Daniel J. Bernstein, a professor
     > of mathematics, statistics, and computer science at the University of
     > Illinois at Chicago. Bernstein's lawsuit led to four court decisions
     > against the constitutionality of the government's previous regulations.
     >
     > To comply with the current regulations, cryptographers must send
     > encryption software to the National Security Agency before showing the
     > software to foreigners. They must also wait for government approval if
     > source code for the software is not publicly available.
     >
     > Department of Justice attorney Tony Coppolino told the court that the
     > government would not enforce the regulations against cryptographers
     > working together at conferences. He also told the court that the
     > government would treat ``assembly language'' as source code.
     >
     > Chief Judge Marilyn Hall Patel of the United States District Court for
     > the Northern District of California will take the next action in the
     > case. Observers expect Patel to rely on the government's promises and
     > dismiss Bernstein's case without deciding the constitutionality of the
     > current regulations.
     >
     > ``I'm trying to help protect the Internet against bad guys,'' Bernstein
     > said in a statement. ``I hope it's true that the government is going to
     > stop interfering in my work.''
     >
     > -30-
    
    
    
    
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