>Don't sweat it, Frank. There are no laws against import of crypto into the
>US. There is also an export exemption that lets people take out single
>copies of heavy-duty crypto software on their laptops for their personal
>use. You're covered.
>
Unfortunately, the "personal use" exemption only applies to US citizens
taking crypto out of the country for temporary use. It does not
apply to non-US citizens who want to take out the crypto they brought
in to the US for temporary use here. Of course, since, as you point
out, there are no *import* restrictions, you could simply delete
the encryption software from your computer before you leave the US.
There are no restictions on the export of encrypted *data*, so only the
software needs to be deleted, which should be no more than a minor
inconvenience given that it must have been available outside the US
in the first place.
It would surprise me if anyone were ever prosecuted for not deleting
software they brought in from their laptop before they went out, but
that's my (non-lawyerly) understanding of the current regulations.
Sometimes being annoyingly scrupulous in following silly rules can be
interesting and educational in and of itself, so you might decide
to comply even if you aren't seriously worried about prosecution.
My own export experiences, which some have credited with bringing
about the current personal use exemption, can be found in
<http://www.crypto.com/papers/export.txt>
-matt
