[Spambayes] Export Restrictions for SpamBayes Anti-span Clientsoftware

[Robert K. Coe]

Am I missing something? I'm not a lawyer either, but a couple of points seem
pretty clear. The most obvious is that Spambayes is already in use all over
the world. If Karin's company's foreign subsidiaries want it, they can
download it off the Python website, can't they?

Beyond that, wasn't Spambayes developed largely outside the U.S. anyway? We
have Australians and New Zealanders and Frenchmen working on it and users of
many nationalities offering advice and assistance. What, exactly, would the
U.S. government think it could restrict? Even the colossal arrogance of the
Bush administration may not reach that far.

Bob


> -----Original Message-----
> From: spambayes-bounces at python.org
> [mailto:spambayes-bounces at python.org] On Behalf Of Tim Peters
> Sent: Tuesday, October 04, 2005 10:57 AM
> To: Finkbeiner, Karin (KR)
> Cc: spambayes at python.org
> Subject: Re: [Spambayes] Export Restrictions for SpamBayes 
> Anti-span Clientsoftware
> 
> 
> [Finkbeiner, Karin (KR)]
> > We have some questions regarding using your SpamBayes Anti-span 
> > Client software.
> 
> SpamBayes comes in several versions, and I don't know which
> one you're thinking about here.
> 
> > Can you confirm if there are any Export Restrictions for this
> > software?
> 
> Not that we know of, but nobody has asked the Bureau of
> Industry and Security for a classification.  Your company can 
> ask them for a SpamBayes classification, if your company has 
> interest in doing so. 
> The SpamBayes developers are unpaid volunteers, and I doubt 
> they have interest in volunteering time to drive that 
> process.  If your company wants to pursue it, we'll gladly 
> cooperate (answer technical questions about the software).
> 
> > Or if this software as an ECCN# or Export Control Classification
> > Number?
> 
> It does not.  If you're talking about a version of SpamBayes
> that includes the Python programming language, Python's ECCN 
> is 5D002.  My best _guess_ is that this would be a suitable 
> classification for SpamBayes too, although I am not a lawyer 
> and have only a very shallow understanding of ECCN requirements.
> 
> > We're trying to determine if we can legally distribute this sw product
> > outside US without going against any government export restrictions.
> 
> I'm sure you understand that we can't give legal advice in any case.