[Cryptography] Generating random values in a particular range

[John Levine]

>> Guess what:  The use of that second technique *for generating a random
>> element of a group of order q for use in cryptograpnhy* is the subject of a
>> patent, filed in 2000, https://www.google.com/patents/US7372961.
>> Blackberry is asserting it (among others that I haven't looked at) against
>> Avaya.

It's not quite that simple -- there's a hash step before deciding
whether to throw the value away.  But I agree that's stupendously
obvious for 2000.  

The hard part with these really obvious patents is finding someone who
documented the technique before the priority date.  Since it's
obvious, why bother to write it up?

R's,
John