[ale] [Fwd: Netscape SSL Patent] (fwd)

[Chris Ricker]

In case you hadn't heard and are interested....

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Alan was right.  The biggest US export is stupidity.  *sigh*

FYI: The text of the patent for those interested is available at:

http://patent.womplex.ibm.com/details?patent_number=5657390

--> forwarded message

Date: Thu, 11 Sep 1997 06:41:56 +0100
To: ssl-users at mincom.oz.au
 From: "Craig R.P. Heath" <craig at sco.COM>
Subject: Netscape SSL Patent
In-Reply-To: <341766AE.3ED at csi.po.my>
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Sender: owner-ssl-users at mincom.com
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I don't know how many people are aware of this, but Netscape have
just been granted a patent on SSL - US Patent number 5,657,390.

The patent is entitled "Secure socket layer application program
apparatus and method", and the abstract is as follows (from the
patents.uspto.gov web site):

"A computer program product comprising: a computer useable medium
having computer readable program code means embodied therein for
encrypting and decrypting information transferred over a network
between a client application program running in a client computer
and a server application program running in a server computer,
the computer readable program code means in the computer program
product comprising: computer readable program code means for
providing a socket application program interface to an application
layer program; computer readable program code means for providing
encrypted information to transport protocol layer services; computer
readable program code means for encrypting information received from
an application layer program; and computer readable program code
means for decrypting information received from transport protocol
layer services."

Does anyone have a clue as to what they may be planning to do with it?

		- Craig Heath, SCO.

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