Date: 10 Mar 2003 16:18:10 -0800 From: swear@attbi.com (Gary W. Swearingen) To: Christopher Nehren <apeiron@comcast.net> Cc: FreeBSD-doc@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Last sentence in md5(1) is a bit misleading Message-ID: <b67kb6ycvx.kb6@localhost.localdomain> In-Reply-To: <1047333408.1687.28.camel@prophecy> References: <1047333408.1687.28.camel@prophecy>
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Christopher Nehren <apeiron@comcast.net> writes:
> "This program is placed in the public domain for free general use by RSA
> Data Security."
>
> I know that I'm extremely picky for pointing this out, but that sentence
> could be interpreted as meaning anyone outside of RSA is unable (legally
> or otherwise) to use the program.
I think it can only be interpreted as intended or as being
self-contradictory, so that one should be able to assume that readers
will interprete it as indended. But your version is better, of course.
But, IIRC (but I might be confusing it with some other crypto), RSA put
their patented idea into the public domain a few weeks before their
patent expired. I'm not sure about the status of the copyright on the
"program", but the file /usr/src/sbin/md5/md5.c says it is derived from
code with this copyright:
Copyright (C) 1990-2, RSA Data Security, Inc. Created 1990.
All rights reserved.
If that is still valid, the acknowledgment seems invalid.
If nobody here knows for sure, you might ask on -chat or -hackers.
> One more thing. If I notice little things like this in the future,
> should I use send-pr, or submit them directly to this list?
You should use send-pr (e-mail or web form), but a simple message is
better than nothing. Your efforts are much more likely to get results
if you use send-pr, generally speaking.
Thanks.
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