European Union Lifts Restrictions on Encryption Exports

mkoeller writes "Looks like the European Union finally got smart and is going to lift all export restrictions on encryption products. Of course, the U.S. protests. The article is here. "

Strange Fate-Ruled World

[pigpogm]

The European ministers of Foreign Affairs are expected to decide monday to lift all barriers to the export of encryption software to countries outside the European Union.

Politicians seem to live in some strange fate-ruled world - every time they have a meeting, the result of the meeting is reported a week before it happens, and every report produced is reported on a disected before it's published.

That must make for some serious philosophical issues.

Re:Strange Fate-Ruled World

[egburr]

I've wondered about this myself. Radio and TV news people are always announcing that some official somewhere is going to announce some decision that was made. How do they know that, and why don't they just get it over with?

Since the news people have already made the announcement, why bother covering the actual event itself. It seems a little anti-climatic to me.

Edward Burr

Posting things just in the sections

[mkoeller]

I really don't get it. I submit this story, it gets accepted (which is nice) and then it lands just in the sections. This is all fine with me, but then, one day /later/ it gets posted on the front page, essentially saying the same [slashdot.org], linking to the same article [heise.de]. Not that I /really/ care but I just think it's stupid.

They chickened out

[JCCyC]

See here [heise.de]. Did the US point their nukes or what?


"Standing up to an evil system [pcshop.com.br] is exhilarating." --Richard Stallman

Go outside US now for development

[Clovis Sangrail]

So, if you want to develop new high level encryption you can do it outside the US and avoid their draconian export policies..

Re:Strange Fate-Ruled World

[luckykaa]

That must make for some serious philosophical issues.

You mean like the gradfather paradox? If I set up a committee to discuss for 2 days whether or not the report should be published, and 5 days before it starts, it is revealed that the recomendation of the committee is that it should not exist, will they be able to make the decision....

Another nail in the US IT industry coffin!

[decaf_dude]

"...But the European Union does not make their policies dependent on the opinion of the United States."

US legislators are dragging IT industry down. Unless something is done to prevent laws like DMCA, UCITA, and encryption software restrictions, it is very likely the SW development will simply move out. Kinda like car, electronics, household, steel, food... industries.


I know it may come as a surprise to many of you here, but our little world doesn't actually revovle around US, it revolves around the Sun.