[18504] in cryptography@c2.net mail archive
RE: ECC patents?
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Whyte, William)
Sat Sep 17 23:09:43 2005
X-Original-To: cryptography@metzdowd.com
X-Original-To: cryptography@metzdowd.com
Date: Sat, 17 Sep 2005 21:48:41 -0400
From: "Whyte, William" <WWhyte@ntru.com>
To: "James A. Donald" <jamesd@echeque.com>,
<cryptography@metzdowd.com>
I'm not sure what you're trying to demonstrate here. From
the fact that NSA chose to license a few curves, we can=20
definitely deduce that they want to use those curves. You
deduce from the fact that they didn't license other curves
that there is no patent on those curves, but you could=20
equally well deduce that the curves they did license are
good enough and they don't need to pay extra money to
license on the other curves.=20
William
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-cryptography@metzdowd.com=20
> [mailto:owner-cryptography@metzdowd.com] On Behalf Of James A. Donald
> Sent: Friday, September 16, 2005 11:53 PM
> To: cryptography@metzdowd.com
> Subject: RE: ECC patents?
>=20
> --
> Whyte, William" <WWhyte@ntru.com>
> > $25MM figure:
> >
> > http://lists.jammed.com/ISN/2003/10/0097.html
>=20
> I stand corrected.
>=20
> However as was pointed out previously:
> : : Further, the license would be limited to only=20
> : : prime field curves where the prime was=20
> : : greater than 2255. On the NIST list of curves=20
> : : 3 out of the 15 fit this field of use: the=20
> : : prime field curves with primes of 256 bits,=20
> : : 384 bits and 521 bits.
>=20
> Of the NIST list of fifteen, nine are 256 bits or=20
> longer.
>=20
> Presumably, if NSA thought certicom had a case, they=20
> would have licensed at least the other six NIST curves
> as well, and most likely the other twelve.
>=20
> The three curves that are licensed look different from=20
> the other twelve, though I have no idea of the=20
> significance of this, if any.=20
>=20
> --digsig
> James A. Donald
> 6YeGpsZR+nOTh/cGwvITnSR3TdzclVpR0+pr3YYQdkG
> ZKrN4sA2qyTNIC90h3U/8Er848IPFGfUOQyBxm8h
> 4xlZJBIqZwgUkOyqgxTzTBcauENSjU46x6oDgn2X4
>=20
>=20
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>=20
>=20
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