discuss: Problems with WWW-HOWTO
Subject:
Re: Problems with WWW-HOWTO
From:
Rick Moen ####@####.####
Date:
15 Oct 2004 08:49:13 -0000
Message-Id: <20041015084901.GB29810@linuxmafia.com>
Quoting David Lawyer ####@####.####
> I think it is likely wrong when it says that one can't use apache-ssl for
> commercial uses.
See, David, if you knew the basics of open-source licensing, you'd know
this one. ;-> Apache-SSL includes a version of the OpenSSL (formerly
SSLeay) crypto library, which includes RSA asymmetric crypto algorithm
support. Prior to September 20, 2000, the RSA algorithm was patented by
RSA Data Security, Inc. (RSADSI), in the USA, but not elsewhere.
For historical reasons, the patent was legally weak. For that and other
reasons, RSADSI authorised usage within the USA of a watered-down
implementation of the RSA algorithm allowing anyone to use it, gratis,
in non-commercial settings, RSAREF: RSAREF was therefore one of the
optional inclusions for Apache-SSL versions of the day. At the time, if
you wanted to lawfully use in commerce a non-watered-down implementation
of RSA within the USA, you had to buy a RSADSI-licensed codebase, such
as C2.net's "Stronghold" Apache variant.
These distinctions became obsolete on September 20, 2000, and anyone
with a grain of common sense jettisoned RSAREF, immediately. (That
codebase retains some nasty copyright encumbrances, even after the USA
patent ones evaporated. Moreover, it sucked, technically.)
However, Wayne Leister's v.0.82 variant of the Linux WWW HOWTO was
released November 19, 1997. Thus its reflection of pre-2000-09-20
reality.
--
Cheers, "< > Kernel support for JAVA binaries (obsolete) (NEW)"
Rick Moen -- Linux kernel v2.2.19 configuration
####@####.####
