Public Key Licensing: Public key standards and licenses

Network Working Group                                         R. Fougner
Request for Comments: 1170                           Public Key Partners
                                                            January 1991


                   Public Key Standards and Licenses

Status of this Memo

   This RFC is a public statement by Public Key Partners regarding
   Public Key Standards and Licenses.  This memo is for informational
   use only, and does not constitute an Internet standard.  Distribution
   of this memo is unlimited.

Public Key Standards and Licenses

   The Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Board of Trustees
   of the Leland Stanford Junior University have recently granted Public
   Key Partners exclusive sublicensing rights to the following patents
   registered in the United States, and all of their corresponding
   foreign patents:

      Cryptographic Apparatus and Method
      ("Diffie-Hellman")............................... No. 4,200,770

      Public Key Cryptographic Apparatus
      and Method ("Hellman-Merkle").................... No. 4,218,582

      Cryptographic Communications System and
      Method ("RSA")................................... No. 4,405,829

      Exponential Cryptographic Apparatus
      and Method ("Hellman-Pohlig").................... No. 4,424,414

   These patents cover all known methods of practicing the art of Public
   Key, including the variations collectively known as El Gamal.

   Due to the broad acceptance of RSA digital signatures throughout the
   international community, Public Key Partners strongly endorses its
   incorporations in a digital signature standard.  We assure the
   interested parties that Public Key Partners will comply with all of
   the policies of ANSI and the IEEE concerning the availability of
   licenses to practice this art.  Specifically, in support of any RSA
   signature standard which may be adopted, Public Key Partners hereby
   gives its assurance that licenses to practice RSA signatures will be
   available under reasonable terms and conditions on a non-
   discriminatory basis.

   We take this opportunity to thank all of those concerned for their
   collective efforts in making this technology readily available for
   commercial implementation.

                                           Public Key Partners

                                           By:  Robert B. Fougner
                                                Director of Licensing

Security Considerations

   This memo discusses fair access to the use of public key technology
   to implement security.

Author's Address

   Robert B. Fougner
   Director of Licensing
   Public Key Partners
   130 B Kifer Court
   Sunnyvale, CA 94086

   Phone:  (408) 735-6779