From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: from mail.esiee.fr (mail.esiee.fr [147.215.1.3]) by dsl2.external.hp.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id 33CD3482A for ; Thu, 31 May 2001 04:36:02 -0600 (MDT) Sender: delahaym@esiee.fr Message-ID: <3B16213E.7EB373DA@esiee.fr> Date: Thu, 31 May 2001 12:47:26 +0200 From: Matthieu Delahaye MIME-Version: 1.0 To: Bdale Garbee , parisc-linux Subject: Re: [parisc-linux] Re: List of packages for hppa ISO release vers ion 2 References: <87zobu3f0e.fsf@rover.gag.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii List-ID: Bdale Garbee wrote: > France reportedly has some of the most evil crypto laws on the planet. It > would not be a good country to host in. You're right. To give an overview: France signed Wassenaar accords. As an implementation of it, France began to completely forgive using of cryptographics tools in 1995. Then, in 1999, using of cryptographic tools were completely allowed to use as an authentification means. But if you want to use them in order to keep confidential your documents/sessions, it become quite complicated... France makes distinction between importing, exporting, using and giving a such tool. More over law change if you use it for private use or for your work. So, nobody knows really what we can really can do with these tools but lawyers, but I haven't one. The current debate in France is that now french government want to certificate tools release by release. If it could be a great issue for commercial software, it is not for free software, which version numbers are changing almost every time. I just give here an overview. It's more complicated than it, but it's the essential. If someone think US law is too restrictive, just have a look on french law ;-) -- Matthieu Delahaye ESIEE Team http://mkhppa1.esiee.fr/