Re: linux-ipsec: Web archive for this list?

> So... are you saying that sending bugfixes from the U.S. to a mailing

No, unfortunately, it (probably) *is* exporting. You need government permission to export either crypto code itself -- and I believe the government doesn't think the *amount* of code matters -- or technical advice on crypto. If you export such material without proper approval, we have to avoid making any use of it.

(My point was that if we have avoided improper use of such material when it appears on the mailing list, it's no great extra effort to go on avoiding improper use if it appears in an archive as well.)

The one significant exemption, protected by the First Amendment etc., is openly published material... and the current government position is that for code, "published" means "printed on paper" -- machine-readable exports are deemed not to be protected. (Legal challenges to this peculiar view are in progress.) We are operating on the assumption that the open nature of the mailing list is sufficient protection for things that are neither code nor detailed advice on coding.

> i'm tempted to put the archive back on-line and deal with the feds

I don't think you're at all likely to do that. However, I would advise caution for your own sake -- confronting the feds head-on can be costly and painful.

                                                          Henry Spencer
                                                       henry@spsystems.net
                                                     (henry@zoo.toronto.edu)