secure phone (was Re: Starium...)

Bram Cohen bram at gawth.com
Wed Jun 6 06:54:15 EDT 2001


On Wed, 6 Jun 2001, William Allen Simpson wrote:

> Manufacturing cost under $20 each 1000 quantities.
> 

The first batch should be sold as a Sharper Image exlusive -
www.sharperimage.com - tons of free press and marketing, and a good way to
unload initial inventory at a profit.

> The user hears a 2 second modem tone.  No answering tone, no modem 
> negotiation.  No user interaction, no muss, no fuss. 

I can't emphasize enough that it's very important that the form factor be
a double-female phone jack and work when plugged in with *either*
orientation - is this an easy thing to detect?

> Anybody know any details about their protocol?
> 
> Is it possible to sidestep their IP rights by using COTS?

I don't see how one could possibly impinge on their IP when using COTS,
unless they have an outright patent on using a device to encrypt a phone
line, which is possible (I'm pretending I'm naive enough to not say
'probable'). In that case, the patent is clearly invalid, but also
impossible to sidestep.

-Bram Cohen

"Markets can remain irrational longer than you can remain solvent"
                                        -- John Maynard Keynes




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