[8825] in cryptography@c2.net mail archive
Re: secure phone (was Re: Starium...)
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Bram Cohen)
Wed Jun 6 12:45:39 2001
Date: Wed, 6 Jun 2001 03:54:15 -0700 (PDT)
From: Bram Cohen <bram@gawth.com>
To: William Allen Simpson <wsimpson@greendragon.com>
Cc: Crypto List <cryptography@wasabisystems.com>
In-Reply-To: <3B1DB833.1FBDFDAB@greendragon.com>
Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.4.21.0106060346500.29647-100000@ultra.gawth.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
On Wed, 6 Jun 2001, William Allen Simpson wrote:
> Manufacturing cost under $20 each 1000 quantities.
>
The first batch should be sold as a Sharper Image exlusive -
www.sharperimage.com - tons of free press and marketing, and a good way to
unload initial inventory at a profit.
> The user hears a 2 second modem tone. No answering tone, no modem
> negotiation. No user interaction, no muss, no fuss.
I can't emphasize enough that it's very important that the form factor be
a double-female phone jack and work when plugged in with *either*
orientation - is this an easy thing to detect?
> Anybody know any details about their protocol?
>
> Is it possible to sidestep their IP rights by using COTS?
I don't see how one could possibly impinge on their IP when using COTS,
unless they have an outright patent on using a device to encrypt a phone
line, which is possible (I'm pretending I'm naive enough to not say
'probable'). In that case, the patent is clearly invalid, but also
impossible to sidestep.
-Bram Cohen
"Markets can remain irrational longer than you can remain solvent"
-- John Maynard Keynes
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