Network Working Group R. Fougner Request for Comments: 1170 Public Key Partners January 1991
Public Key Standards and Licenses
Status of this Memo
This RFCis 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
