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seethishat 5 hours ago

For context, djb has been doing and saying these things since he was a college student:

    While a graduate student at the University of California at Berkeley, Bernstein completed the development of an encryption equation (an "algorithm") he calls "Snuffle." Bernstein wishes to publish a) the algorithm (b) a mathematical paper describing and explaining the algorithm and (c) the "source code" for a computer program that incorporates the algorithm. Bernstein also wishes to discuss these items at mathematical conferences, college classrooms and other open public meetings. The Arms Export Control Act and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (the ITAR regulatory scheme) required Bernstein to submit his ideas about cryptography to the government for review, to register as an arms dealer, and to apply for and obtain from the government a license to publish his ideas. Failure to do so would result in severe civil and criminal penalties. Bernstein believes this is a violation of his First Amendment rights and has sued the government. 

    After four years and one regulatory change, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that software source code was speech protected by the First Amendment and that the government's regulations preventing its publication were unconstitutional. - Source https://www.eff.org/cases/bernstein-v-us-dept-justice
basilgohar 37 minutes ago | parent | next [-]

djb has earned my massive respect for how consistent he's been in this regard. I love his belligerence towards authoritarian overreach in this regard. Him, Phil Zimmermann, Richard Stallman, and all are owed great respect for their insistence on their principles which have paid massive dividends to all of us through the freedom and software that has been preserved and become possible through them. I appreciate them immensely and I think we all owe them a debt of gratitude for their sacrifices, because they all paid a heavy price for their advocacy over time.

tptacek 37 minutes ago | parent [-]

That's the right pantheon, I think. Bernstein, Zimmerman, Stallman.

ants_everywhere 31 minutes ago | parent | prev | next [-]

That was when he had the legal expertise of the EFF to help him make his case. Later he decided to represent himself in court and failed

> This time, he chose to represent himself, although he had no formal legal training. On October 15, 2003, almost nine years after Bernstein first brought the case, the judge dismissed it....

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernstein_v._United_States

2 hours ago | parent | prev [-]
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