Re: lynx-dev Does LYNX support 128bit SSL Encryption ?

[David Woolley]

> Does Lynx support 128bit SSL Encryption ???

For reasons of both civil (patents, copyright) and criminal (arms control)
law, distributable versions of Lynx created in the USA cannot include SSL
support.  The status for versions created outside the USA is less clear,
except that they would breach US civil law, and global copyright law, if
exported to the USA.  Commercial use is not possible in the USA without
permission from the patent holders for some of the algorithms used.

There is discussion of the US relaxing the criminal part but you will have
to wait until early next century for the RSA patent to expire.

> or:   address@hidden

Austria is dangerously close to Switzerland; parts of SSL (IDEA
encryption) are patented by a Swiss company who attempt to claim that
the patent is enforceable on software implementations in at least parts
of Europe, although my (lay) understanding is that the EEC
does not permit patents on software.  You should check the legal status
in Austria.