RFC1170

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

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

  Phone:  (408) 735-6779

Fougner