[plug] MS Curriculum at schools and TAFEs ...

[Christian]

On Mon, Apr 23, 2001 at 11:33:25AM +0800, The Thought Assassin wrote:
> On Sun, 22 Apr 2001, Andrew Francis wrote:
> > >From the PDF specifications at adobe.com:
> > "PDFs standard encryption methods use the MD5 message-digest algorithm
> > (de-scribed in Internet RFC 1321, The MD5 Message-Digest Algorithm; see
> > the Bibli-ography) and a proprietary encryption algorithm known as RC4.
> > Note: RC4 is a copyrighted, proprietary algorithm of RSA Security, Inc.
> > Adobe Systems has licensed this algorithm for use in its Acrobat products.
> > Independent software vendors may be required to license RC4 in order to
> > develop software that encrypts or decrypts PDF documents. For further
> > information, visit the RSA Web site at <http://www.rsasecurity.com> or
> > send e-mail to <products at rsasecurity.com>."
> 
> This is why I do not consider PDF to be an open standard.
> Sure, it is fully and openly specified, but in order to implement it, you
> must agree to restrict the use of your implementation and the freedom of
> its users. It may be open, but it is proprietary, and that is not good
> enough. It isn't even that the present situation particularly
> disadvantages Free Software - there are gratis non-free modules as I
> understand it - but it illuminates Adobe's attitude to their stewardship
> of the standard. If we accept PDF as an open standard because it is "close
> enough" for "practical purposes", we send a message that freedom is
> unimportant and take the first step along a slippery slope.

There are *lots* of implementations of arc4 (alleged RC4) in prominent
software like OpenSSH, OpenSSL and OpenBSD.  RSADSI doesn't seem to
really be bothered with this anymore.  So, if I understand what you're
saying (i.e., that PDF is not fully open because of its use of RC4) then
given the widespread use of arc4, it seems that it is possible to make
completely open PDF viewers that are 100% compatible while not
technically conforming to the Adobe standard.  Does this increase the
acceptability of PDF in your view?

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DSA 0x0EC1D28C: BBCB 0D79 4EBB 078A A066  7267 8BED E9D6 0EC1 D28C