IDEA (was: Re: Decryption problem)

[Robert Fendt]

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On 15-Sep-99 Werner Koch wrote:

>> No, for real (non-commercial) use. And I don't care that is is patented.
>> I use IDEA (and RSA, but I'm outside the US) with 2.x anyway.
>=20
> Don't let Ascom know this.  They even require license fees when IDEA
> is used by charities.

That's because Ascom defines this as "commercial purposes" (commercial purp=
oses
include the use by non-profit organisations; see
http://www.ascom.ch/infosec/idea/policy.html ).

The use by a "private individual" for "non-commercial purposes" is, by my
understanding, free. Nevertheless, this stands in direct contrast to the GP=
L;
so, IDEA cannot be incorporated into GnuPG.

This brings me to an interesting question: one of the two algorithms' paten=
ts
(RSA and IDEA) ends somewhere in 2001, I think. But I can't remember, which
one; IDEA would be interesting, because it still is one of the best symmetr=
ic
ciphers available (it's fast *and* secure). And how long lasts the other?
ElGamal, for example, is only free because it's patent ended 1997 or so...

And: how specific are these patents anyway? Would it be possible to create =
a
different cipher based on the same mathematical principle (and therefore wi=
th
comparable qualities) without breaking a patent? After all, RSA is faster
than DH, and IDEA has undergone extensive analysis.

Regards,
Robert
--=20
Robert Fendt <fendt@student.physik.uni-dortmund.de>
public PGP key available ! (momentarily only via (e)mail)

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