Re: [ILUG] Re: word 97 decryption finally completed

From: Justin Mason (jm at domain netnoteinc.com)
Date: Wed 15 Sep 1999 - 11:39:52 IST


David Murphy said:

> Quoting <19990913114007.E17352 at domain postman.sourcegear.com>
> by Shaw Terwilliger <sterwill at domain postman.sourcegear.com>:
>
> > Caolan, do you have any pointers to further information on the
> > encryption scheme Word is using? I think we have a copy of the
> > United States export regulations around the office and I'd
> > like to do a quick check.
>
> As far as I'm aware it's not illegal to import encryption into the US,
> nor is it illegal to export encryption from Ireland.

Bad news -- due to the Wassenaar arrangement you now need to ask the Dept
of Trade and Industry if it's OK to export it from Ireland. I think they
generally say "yes" though. It does take a little bit of writing up.

However you may be sorted; RC4 may not qualify as I think it's a symmetric
algorithm and IIRC the restrictions on symmetric algos are less strict.

Sly Tip: I don't think "compression" schemes come under Wassenaar, BTW ;)

Here's some relevant URLs:

  Dept of Trade

  http://www.entemp.ie/export/default.htm

  also Wassenaar

  http://www.wassenaar.org/list/Table%20of%20Contents%20-%2098web.html

  See Category 5 part 2

--j.



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