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AND
PATENTS
Various companies hold various patents for various algorithms in various locations around the
world. _YOU_ are responsible for ensuring that your use of any algorithms is legal by check-
ing if there are any patents in your country. The fi le contains some of the patents that we know
about or are rumoured to exist. This is not a defi nitive list.
RSA Data Security holds software patents on the RSA and RC5 algorithms. If their ciphers are
used used inside the USA (and Japan?), you must contact RSA Data Security for licensing con-
ditions. Their web page is http://www.rsa.com/.
RC4 is a trademark of RSA Data Security, so use of this label should perhaps only be used with
RSA Data Security’s permission.
The IDEA algorithm is patented by Ascom in Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Nether-
lands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK and the USA. They should be contacted if that algorithm
is to be used, their web page is
http://www.ascom.ch/
.