IDEA (was: Re: Decryption problem)

[Remco Post]

On 15-Sep-99 Robert Fendt wrote:
> 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.
>> 
>> 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
> purposes
> 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 GPL;
> so, IDEA cannot be incorporated into GnuPG.
> 
> This brings me to an interesting question: one of the two algorithms' patents
> (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 symmetric
> 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 with
> comparable qualities) without breaking a patent? After all, RSA is faster
> than DH, and IDEA has undergone extensive analysis.
> 
> Regards,
> Robert
> -- 
> Robert Fendt <fendt@student.physik.uni-dortmund.de>
> public PGP key available ! (momentarily only via (e)mail)

Intresting is that European law states that computer algorithms are equivelant
to mathematical algorithms, which CANNOT be patented. Therefore I doubt that
these patents would be hounored in Europe. Then again, who amongst us is
willing to test this in court?

Only a specific implementation of an algorithm is protected by copiright laws,
and therefore the author can ask you for a "right to use". This is the only
reason I know that we actually have to pay for software, not the patents (if
any) but copyright.

Remco.