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FreeBSD 4.1.1 Includes RSA

Posted by Hemos on from the lotsa-submissions-on-this-one dept.

Eladio McCormick writes: "Yeah, I know point releases are not by themselves huge news, but FreeBSD 4.1.1-RELEASE represents a major event, in that the base distribution now includes RSA. Info on the release is online." We've had a number of submissions about this one -- good to see the patent come off, and encryption working its way into more things.

2 of 91 comments (clear)

  1. Way to Promote Innovation, Guys! by Greyfox · · Score: 5
    RSA's been patented for 17 years now. Look at the number of products that use it, and the ways it's used in those products.

    This time next year, look at the number of products that appeared since the patent expired, and the ways they use it.

    Where do you see the innovation happening?

    --

    I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?

    1. Re:Way to Promote Innovation, Guys! by sjames · · Score: 5

      The innovation happened when RSA was developed. Maybe, had they not gotten a patent, RSA would have never publicized their algorithm. Maybe instead they would have kept it as a trade secret, releasing only closed-source binary implementations of it.

      RSA was published before a patent was granted (And before an algorythm could be patented at all, indicating that the work was done under the belief that it could NEVER be patented), and was developed with public funds. The patent was an afterthought. The patent system encouraged nothing but price gouging.