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.
Fougner [Page 1]
RFC 1170 Public Key Standards and Licenses January 1991
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
