Subject: opposing TLS-authz "experimental"

From: Bruno Delcourt <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 19 Oct 2007 09:11:44 +0200

Dear Sir,

    As a network administrator of the University computing services at the
    FUNDP University (Namur, Belgium), and as an individual, I oppose
    the publication of draft-housley-tls-authz-extns as an experimental
    standard.

    The patent application disclosed by RedPhone Security has put any
    free software attempting to implement these extensions in a very
    difficult position. Free software developers cannot safely code to
    the specifications without risking infringement on RedPhone's
    patents. For example, as a result of these concerns and the
    uncertain situation they create, GnuTLS has removed support for them
    in its latest release -- and no other software maintained by the GNU
    Project will be written to them.

    I understand that the IETF and IESG largely share my view that
    patent-encumbered standards are unacceptable. I believe that the
    process has reached the proper conclusion -- the draft has been
    rejected as a standard. Please do not allow this decision to be
    negated by publishing it on the experimental track.

    I agree with Sam Hartman that "often it seems that we use
    informational as a way to publish things we cannot build a strong
    consensus behind. I think that process is generally problematic and
    would like to avoid it in this instance," and with Simon Josefsson
    that "[g]iven that the initial last call was to put the document on
    the standards track, my impression would be that this last call
    request for the experimental track is indeed intended to circumvent
    the normal process."

    In the long term, widespread adoption of something published on this
    track would put software authors in the same bad position as if the
    document were approved as a standard. Please respect the consensus
    that has been reached and do not publish this draft.

    Yours truly,

--
*Bruno Delcourt*
36, Rue René Rubay
B-5032 Isnes - Belgique
Tél. +32 (81) 56 92 37

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