Why doesn't Sun release the crypto module of the OpenSPARC? Crypto export restrictions

[Thierry Moreau]

Richard Salz wrote:

> I would expect hardware designs to be treated more like hardware than 
> software.
> 

That's an interesting observation, raising the issue of what is "speech" 
  vs hardware.

When I looked into this issue, I found the "Common Criteria" 
certification methodology as evidence that "speech" covers everything 
from the most high level abstract design description to the most 
concrete representation of the hardware that you would look at, e.g. for 
security certification assurance that electronic gates are properly 
positioned by the Computer-Aided-Design tools. Hence, any information is 
"speech", and if it's in the public domain, I would expect an export 
control exception would apply. Only the actual silicon, and non 
human-readable dies for the silicon, would be hardware.

Otherwise, I see no legal base to locate a cut-off point between 
"speech" and hardware in the process of design refinements leading to 
the actual processor.

Regards,

-- 

- Thierry Moreau

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