From MAILER-DAEMON Thu Oct 18 15:01:26 2007 Received: from mailman by lists.gnu.org with archive (Exim 4.43) id 1IiacY-0000p3-PH for mharc-info-fsf@gnu.org; Thu, 18 Oct 2007 15:01:26 -0400 Received: from mailman by lists.gnu.org with tmda-scanned (Exim 4.43) id 1IiaJK-00040e-4c for info-fsf@gnu.org; Thu, 18 Oct 2007 14:41:34 -0400 Received: from exim by lists.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.43) id 1IiaJJ-00040R-HL for info-fsf@gnu.org; Thu, 18 Oct 2007 14:41:33 -0400 Received: from [199.232.76.173] (helo=monty-python.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1IiaJJ-00040O-Eq for info-fsf@gnu.org; Thu, 18 Oct 2007 14:41:33 -0400 Received: from [192.168.0.10] (helo=gnu.org) by monty-python.gnu.org with esmtps (TLS-1.0:DHE_RSA_AES_256_CBC_SHA1:32) (Exim 4.60) (envelope-from ) id 1IiaJJ-0004Vl-9g for info-fsf@gnu.org; Thu, 18 Oct 2007 14:41:33 -0400 Received: from johns by gnu.org with local (Exim 4.43) id 1IiaJI-0005Vh-F7 for info-fsf@gnu.org; Thu, 18 Oct 2007 14:41:32 -0400 From: John Sullivan To: info-fsf@gnu.org Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2007 14:41:32 -0400 Message-ID: <87sl48p8o3.fsf@spider.office.fsf.org> Lines: 62 User-Agent: Gnus/5.110006 (No Gnus v0.6) Emacs/23.0.50 (gnu/linux) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Sender: "John Sullivan,,," X-detected-kernel: by monty-python.gnu.org: Linux 2.6, seldom 2.4 (older, 4) X-Mailman-Approved-At: Thu, 18 Oct 2007 15:01:24 -0400 Subject: Send comments opposing TLS-authz "experimental" standard by October 23 X-BeenThere: info-fsf@gnu.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Free Software Foundation Announcements and Information List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2007 18:41:34 -0000 Much of the communication on the Internet happens between computers according to standards that define common languages. If we are going to live in a free world using free software, our software must be allowed to speak these languages. Unfortunately, discussions about possible new standards are tempting opportunities for people who would prefer to profit by extending proprietary control over our communities. If someone holds a software patent on a technique that a programmer has to use in order to implement a standard, then no one is free to implement that standard without getting permission from and paying the `patent holder `_. If we are not careful, standards can become major barriers to computer users having and exercising their freedom. We depend on organizations like the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) and the Internet Engineering Steering Group (IESG) to evaluate new proposals for standards and make sure that they are not encumbered by patents or any other sort of restriction that would prevent free software users and programmers from participating in the world they define. In February 2006, a standard for `"TLS authorization" `_ was introduced in the IETF for consideration. Very late in the discussion, a company called RedPhone Security `disclosed `_ that they applied for a patent which would need to be licensed to anyone wanting to practice the standard. After this disclosure, the proposal was rejected. However, the proposal is not dead yet. Its authors are trying to push it through not as an official standard but as an `"experimental" or "informational" one `_, where if approved it will still be propagated under the IETF name. While it wouldn't be an official standard, this amounts to an attempt to sneak the patent-encumbered rejected standard in through a backdoor. As Sam Hartman, Security Area Director for the IETF said, `"[O]ften it seems that we use informational as a way to publish things we cannot build a strong consensus behind. I think that process is generally problematic and would like to avoid it in this instance." `_ In the long term, widespread adoption of something published on this track would put free software in the same bad position as if the document were approved as a standard. To avoid encouraging public adoption of TLS authorization, we have deleted the support from the latest version of `GnuTLS `_. If you are a programmer in this area, please join us in declining to implement these extensions. IETF is listening to comments on the question until October 23. The Free Software Foundation `has sent one `_, but convincing the IETF takes many. Please mail your own comment to ietf@ietf.org, and CC us at campaigns@fsf.org. If our voice is strong enough, the IETF will not approve this method on any level unless the patent threat is removed with a royalty-free license for all users. -- John Sullivan Campaigns Manager | Phone: (617)542-5942 x23 | http://badvista.org 51 Franklin Street, 5th Fl. | Fax: (617)542-2652 | http://www.gnu.org Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA | GPG: AE8600B6 | http://www.fsf.org From MAILER-DAEMON Thu Oct 18 16:57:14 2007 Received: from mailman by lists.gnu.org with archive (Exim 4.43) id 1IicQc-0004iK-AM for mharc-info-fsf@gnu.org; Thu, 18 Oct 2007 16:57:14 -0400 Received: from mailman by lists.gnu.org with tmda-scanned (Exim 4.43) id 1IicQa-0004fz-4E for info-fsf@gnu.org; Thu, 18 Oct 2007 16:57:12 -0400 Received: from exim by lists.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.43) id 1IicQZ-0004fO-OC for info-fsf@gnu.org; Thu, 18 Oct 2007 16:57:11 -0400 Received: from [199.232.76.173] (helo=monty-python.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1IicQZ-0004fF-Cd for info-fsf@gnu.org; Thu, 18 Oct 2007 16:57:11 -0400 Received: from fencepost.gnu.org ([140.186.70.10]) by monty-python.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.60) (envelope-from ) id 1IicQZ-00019v-0g; Thu, 18 Oct 2007 16:57:11 -0400 Received: from brett by fencepost.gnu.org with local (Exim 4.60) (envelope-from ) id 1IicQY-0007Ha-MW; Thu, 18 Oct 2007 16:57:10 -0400 Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2007 16:57:10 -0400 From: Brett Smith To: info-fsf@gnu.org, info-gplv3@gplv3.fsf.org Message-ID: <20071018205710.GU3097@fencepost.gnu.org> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.11 Sender: Brett Smith X-detected-kernel: by monty-python.gnu.org: Linux 2.6, seldom 2.4 (older, 4) Cc: Subject: Compliance Lab IRC Meeting October 24 X-BeenThere: info-fsf@gnu.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Free Software Foundation Announcements and Information List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2007 20:57:12 -0000 On October 24, at 14:00 US Eastern Time (18:00 UTC), the FSF Compliance Lab will hold a public Q&A session. We'll discuss some recent FUD surrounding GPLv3, and then open the floor to questions about GNU licenses generally. If you've seen some bad reporting about licenses recently, or just want to ask that question that's been bugging you for a while, come join us and we'll get everything cleared up for you. The meeting will take place in the #gplv3-meeting channel on freenode[1]. The Compliance Lab hosts regular meetings like this, held at different times to accommodate as many people as possible. If you can't make this meeting, don't worry--there will be another to suit your needs. The FSF is undertaking various efforts to help educate the community about all the new GNU licenses. Learn more about that work at . [1] http://freenode.net/ -- Brett Smith Licensing Compliance Engineer, Free Software Foundation