[sword-devel] Sorry, I can't export sapphire.zip, but...
Chris Little
sword-devel@crosswire.org
Thu, 18 Nov 1999 14:34:04 -0800
This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
------=_NextPart_000_005F_01BF31D1.F6BD7300
Content-Type: text/plain;
charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
A few more minor points...
- By default, Sword cannot be built without Sapphire
Sword builds from source without Sapphire code included by default. The =
binary versions (I assume) have Sapphire built in, but as MPJ explained, =
that's not illegal to export.
- the Sword libraries be changed to have Sapphire disabled by =
default.
This is a good idea, at least until such time as commercial Bible text =
resale and publication permission is granted by at least one publisher.
I would disagree. There is no harm in having the capability to encrypt =
modules enabled and without it enabled, it looks like SWORD doesn't have =
the capability to handle secure module encryption at all. Without that, =
publishers aren't going to have any interest in publishing in SWORD =
format, ever.
- Crosswire could be sued by the government for promoting use of an =
illegally
exported encryption technology.
This isn't nearly as likely as being sued by Zondervan for =
distributing its NIV to all Sword developers. That should cease.
That's kind of a gray area. We're providing a lot of work for them =
through product formatting and testing, assuming they ever start taking =
money and selling unlock codes. But, it's not as if they ever asked for =
us to do work for them, etc.
- Commercial text vendors could be reluctant to license their =
material to us
due to the cloud that hangs over the encryption technology.
I doubt it. They are more concerned about profit, the effectiveness of =
the point of sale control, and the assurance of full royalty payments.
For end users, there is no cloud. The encryption is built into the =
binaries and they don't need to worry about finding Sapphire, whether =
they are in the US or not. Developers and anyone interested in =
compiling their own binaries should be resourceful enough to find =
Sapphire themselves if they need--besides, these aren't the people that =
publishers care about.
Commercial text vendors should, rather, look at the security offered by =
the SWORD/Sapphire combination. Our encrypted texts are solidly =
protected because the data is actually encrypted. I'm not aware of any =
other Bible software on any platform that offers even a modicum of =
decent security against text unlocking without payment because they all =
depend on security through obscurity and leave their texts themselves =
completely unencrypted.
If Bob from Logos (he's on the sword-devel list too, for those who =
didn't know) should take note of anything, it's that we actually have =
security. And hopefully it is capable of meeting the requirements of =
Logos or other publishers who would like to start publishing in SWORD =
format because currently it is probably the strongest security in this =
software genre.
--Chris Little
------=_NextPart_000_005F_01BF31D1.F6BD7300
Content-Type: text/html;
charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META content=3D"text/html; charset=3Diso-8859-1" =
http-equiv=3DContent-Type>
<META content=3D"MSHTML 5.00.2614.3401" name=3DGENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>A few more minor points...</FONT><BR></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE=20
style=3D"BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: =
0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px">
<BLOCKQUOTE cite type=3D"cite">
<DIV>- By default, Sword cannot be built without Sapphire</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Sword builds from source without Sapphire code =
included by=20
default. The binary versions (I assume) have Sapphire built in, =
but as MPJ=20
explained, that's not illegal to export.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE=20
style=3D"BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: =
0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px">
<BLOCKQUOTE cite type=3D"cite">- the Sword libraries be changed to =
have=20
Sapphire disabled by default.</BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV><BR>This is a good idea, at least until such time as commercial =
Bible=20
text resale and publication permission is granted by at least one=20
publisher.<BR></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>I would disagree. There is no harm in having =
the=20
capability to encrypt modules enabled and without it enabled, it looks =
like=20
SWORD doesn't have the capability to handle secure module encryption at=20
all. Without that, publishers aren't going to have any interest in =
publishing in SWORD format, ever.<BR></FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE=20
style=3D"BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: =
0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px">
<BLOCKQUOTE cite type=3D"cite">- Crosswire could be sued by the =
government for=20
promoting use of an illegally<BR>exported encryption =
technology.</BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV><BR>This isn't nearly as likely as being sued by Zondervan for=20
distributing its NIV to all Sword developers. That should=20
cease.<BR></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>That's kind of a gray area. We're providing a =
lot of=20
work for them through product formatting and testing, assuming they ever =
start=20
taking money and selling unlock codes. But, it's not as if they =
ever asked=20
for us to do work for them, etc.<BR></FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE=20
style=3D"BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: =
0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px">
<BLOCKQUOTE cite type=3D"cite">- Commercial text vendors could be =
reluctant to=20
license their material to us<BR>due to the cloud that hangs over the =
encryption technology.</BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV><BR>I doubt it. They are more concerned about profit, the =
effectiveness=20
of the point of sale control, and the assurance of full royalty=20
payments.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>For end users, there is no cloud. The =
encryption is=20
built into the binaries and they don't need to worry about finding =
Sapphire,=20
whether they are in the US or not. Developers and anyone =
interested in=20
compiling their own binaries should be resourceful enough to find =
Sapphire=20
themselves if they need--besides, these aren't the people that =
publishers care=20
about.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Commercial text vendors should, rather, look at the =
security=20
offered by the SWORD/Sapphire combination. Our encrypted texts are =
solidly=20
protected because the data is actually encrypted. I'm not aware of =
any=20
other Bible software on any platform that offers even a modicum of =
decent=20
security against text unlocking without payment because they all depend =
on=20
security through obscurity and leave their texts themselves completely=20
unencrypted.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>If Bob from Logos (he's on the sword-devel list too, =
for those=20
who didn't know) should take note of anything, it's that we actually =
have=20
security. And hopefully it is capable of meeting the requirements =
of Logos=20
or other publishers who would like to start publishing in SWORD format =
because=20
currently it is probably the strongest security in this software=20
genre.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>--Chris Little</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
------=_NextPart_000_005F_01BF31D1.F6BD7300--