Re: [TLS] On Curve25519 and other possibilities (e.g. ietf256p, ietf384p, ietf521p,

[Andrey Jivsov <[e-mail]>]

On 06/28/2014 12:59 PM, Michael StJohns wrote:
>
> >>>>  "IPR Issues":
>
> The specific set of IPR issues that concern me are the license and 
> copyright with respect to DJB's basic work.    Unless there is a 
> "perpetual, paid up, world-wide, irrevocable" license for anything 
> that he's done (or could do in this space) there are possible future 
> issues.  Something as simple as invoking the already existing 
> copyright on the curve data could be problematic.
>
> Note that I'm not saying this will happen, or that its even 
> contemplated,  but it's a potential problem that should be resolved 
> formally and legally.
>
> (It's possible there is such a document, but I went looking and didn't 
> find it.  Some of this is tagged "public domain" but that's probably 
> insufficient for most lawyers).
>
> If DJB et al is willing to transfer change control/copyright/patent 
> rights/moral rights to the IETF (via appropriate documentation), and 
> the IETF is willing to publish an actual standard then this objection 
> goes away. 

BTW, focusing on F(p) (which is not really an ECC) also helps with the 
above concerns. p = 2^n-C is free due to the following expired patent : 
https://www.google.com/patents/US5159632 .

IMO it would appear "safer" for hardware vendors to only 
implement/provide optimization primitives for F(p), for a couple of 
specific p's.