I realized no copy of the original of this had gone out so I thought I'd forward this...
> This is a stds-p1363 broadcast. See the IEEE P1363 web page > (http://grouper.ieee.org/groups/1363/) for more information, > including how to subscribe/unsubscribe. > -------------------------------------------------------------- > > Security Dynamics Technologies, Inc. has sent a letter to the P1363 > working group regarding trademark protection of the RSA name. The letter > is now available from our patents page > http://grouper.ieee.org/groups/1363/patents.html > or directly at > http://grouper.ieee.org/groups/1363/letters/SecurityDynamics.jpg Now that their patent is getting ready to expire (next fall), RSA is trying to crack down on anyone who refers to the use of the algorithm by calling it "RSA". They don't mind if you call it "type 1" or something else meaningless and irrelevant, though. This is a new low for a company known for self-serving legal bluster. You would think they'd prefer to have people mentioning their corporate name all over the place, but now that the algorithm has wide recognition, they seem to want to make sure that nobody *else* can say their product does RSA. Even if it does. If they can't keep you from competing, at least they want to prevent you from advertising that you compete. They aren't asking much... Perhaps we should have a little contest for what to call the RSA algorithm, given RSA's objection to calling a shovel a spade. ASR perhaps? Though ASS is tempting, I wouldn't want to gratuitously eliminate Ron Rivest's initial. SAR as in what a SARry company? RAS, to send a RASberry to the lawyers? "EFN" is rot13 of RSA, can we make up a good phrase that it's supposed to stand for? Electronic Freedom Now? (Well, after Oct 2000 anyway.) Extra Funny Name? Elegant Fraud Nixer? Embargoed For Now? STB is RSA+1 (as in IBM and HAL); any good phrases lurking in there? RAL are the first (rather than last) initials of the inventors. Then there's RRASLA, the first and last initials. There's always completely new names: "ExpoMax", "FactorThis!", "SuperSig", "RonFish", etc... John PS: The alternative, of course, is to ignore them and keep using the term "RSA". Let them prove to a court that they own the term, which was in use before they formed the company and which was created in the traditional scientific community naming convention (after the names of the inventors). Or intervene in their trademark filings, saying the term has wide use in the scientific and technical literature and that they're trying to inappropriately monopolize it to replace their expiring patent protection. Does anyone out there work for a company that would like to continue using the term "RSA" after you don't have to pay the company for the patent any more? (I'm sure if you continue to pay them, they'll be glad to let you keep using the word; but you might have other ideas.) Which would be cheaper? Having your lawyers write a few letters to trademark agencies in various countries now? Or negotiating with good old "How much you got?" RSA?
