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Draft II Encryption Export Regulations

December 17, 1999

Source: U.S. Department of Commerce


The Administration has released the following draft of proposed new encryption export regulations. The proposed revisions were originally announced on September 16th, and are due to be finalized by January 14th.



Draft II Encryption Export Regulations

This is the revised version of the November 19 discussion draft. The November 19 draft laid out elements of the encryption export regulation which will implement the new policy announced on September 16, 1999. This draft reflects the various comments received on the first draft. There are substantial changes in the sections dealing with source code, retail products, reporting requirements, and the definition of governments and open cryptographic interfaces. There is a new section clarifying the requirements for exports to telecommunications and internet service providers and on screening internet ales to government end-users. Our new goal is publication of the actual regulation by January 14, 2000. Comments are welcome and, as before, should be sent to jlewis@bxa.doc.gov.

SEC. 734.2 IMPORTANT EAR TERMS AND PRINCIPLES

SEC. 734.7 PUBLISHED INFORMATION AND SOFTWARE

SEC. 740.13 TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE ‹ UNRESTRICTED (TSU)

This License Exception authorizes exports and re-exports of operation technology and software; sales technology and software; software updates (bug fixes); "mass market" software subject to the General Software Note; and encryption source code eligible for export under License Exception TSU. Note that encryption software is no longer subject to the General Software Note (see paragraph (d)(2) of this section).

SEC. 740.17 ENCRYPTION COMMODITIES AND SOFTWARE (ENC).

SEC. 742.15 ENCRYPTION ITEMS

Encryption items can be used to maintain the secrecy of information, and thereby may be used by persons abroad to harm national security, foreign policy and law enforcement interests. As the President indicated in E.O. 13026 and in his Memorandum of November 15, 1996, export of encryption software, like export of encryption hardware, is controlled because of this functional capacity to encrypt information on a computer system, and not because of any informational or theoretical value that such software may reflect, contain, or represent, or that its export may convey to others abroad. For this reason, export controls on encryption software are distinguished from controls on other software regulated under the EAR.

PART 770

SEC. 770.2 Commodity interpretations.

PART 772 - DEFINITIONS OF TERMS

Asymmetric algorithm. (Cat 5, part II) A cryptographic algorithm using different, mathematically-related keys for encryption and decryption. A common use of "asymmetric algorithms" is key management.

Encryption Component. Any encryption commodity or software (except source code), including encryption chips, integrated circuits, application specific encryption toolkits, or executable or linkable modules which alone are incapable of performing complete cryptographic functions, and is designed or intended for use in or the production of another encryption item.

Government End-user (as applied to encryption items). A government end-user is (a) any foreign central, regional or local government department, agency, or other entity performing governmental functions; including governmental research institutions, governmental corporations or their separate business units (as defined in part 772 of the EAR) which are engaged in the manufacture or distribution of items or services controlled on the Wassenaar Munitions List, and international governmental organizations;

(b) this term does not include the following public entities: utilities (including telecommunications companies and Internet service providers); banks and financial institutions; transportation; broadcast or entertainment; educational organizations; civil health and medical organizations; retail or wholesale firms; and manufacturing or industrial entities not engaged in the manufacture or distribution of items or services controlled on the Wassenaar Munitions List.

Open Cryptographic Interface. A mechanism which is designed to allow a customer or other party to insert cryptographic functionality without the intervention, help or assistance of the manufacturer or its agents, e.g., manufacturer¹s signing of cryptographic code or proprietary interfaces. If the programmatic interface to the cryptographic hardware or object code software has a fixed set of cryptographic algorithms, key lengths or key exchange management systems that cannot be changed, it will not be considered an "open" cryptographic interface. All general application programming interface (i.e. those that accept either a cryptographic or non-cryptographic interface but do not themselves maintain any cryptographic functionality) will not be considered "open" cryptographic interfaces.

"Symmetric algorithm". (Cat 5, part II) A cryptographic algorithm using an identical key for both encryption and decryption. A common use of "symmetric algorithms" is confidentiality of data.

PART 774

Part II - "Information Security"

Note 1: The control status of "information security" equipment, "software", systems, application specific "electronic assemblies", modules, integrated circuits, components, or functions is determined in Category 5, part 2 even if they are components or "electronic assemblies" of other equipment.

Note 2: Category 5 - part 2 encryption products, when accompanying their user for the user's personal use, are eligible for license exceptions TMP or BAG.

Note 3: Cryptography Note: ECCNs 5A002 and 5D002 do not control items that meet all of the following:

A. Systems, Equipment and Components

5A002 Systems, equipment, application specific "electronic assemblies", modules and integrated circuits for "information security", and other specially designed components therefor.

* * * * *
List of Items Controlled

Unit: $ value
Related Controls: See also 5A992. This entry does not control: a.) "Personalized smart cards "where the cryptographic capability is restricted for use in equipment or systems excluded from control paragraphs b through f of this note. Note that if a "personalized smart card" has multiple functions, the control status of each function is assessed individually; b.) Receiving equipment for radio broadcast, pay television or similar restricted audience television of the consumer type, without digital encryption except that exclusively used for sending the billing or program-related information back to the broadcast providers c.) Portable or mobile radiotelephones for civil use (e.g., for use with commercial civil cellular radio communications systems) that are not capable of end-to-end encryption; d.) Equipment where the cryptographic capability is not user-accessible and which is specially designed and limited to allow any of the following: 1.) Execution of copy-protected "software"; 2.) Access to any of the following: a.) Copy-protected read-only media; or b.) Information stored in encrypted form on media (e.g., in connection with the protection of intellectual property rights) where the media is offered for sale in identical sets to the public; or 3.) One-time encryption of copyright protected audio/video data; e.) Cryptographic equipment specially designed and limited for banking use or money transactions; f.) Cordless telephone equipment not capable of end-to-end encryption where the maximum effective range of unboosted cordless operation (i.e., a single, unrelayed hop between terminal and home base station) is less than 400 meters according to the manufacturer's specifications.

Related Definitions: 1.) The term "money transactions" in paragraph e.) of Related Controls includes the collection and settlement of fares or credit functions. 2.) For the control of global navigation satellite systems receiving equipment containing or employing decryption (i.e., GPS or GLONASS) see 7A005.

Items:

Technical Note: Parity bits are not included in the key length.

a. Systems, equipment, application specific "electronic assemblies", modules and integrated circuits for "information security", and other specially designed components therefor:

5B002 Information Security - test, inspection and "production" equipment.

License Requirements

5E002 "Technology" according to the General Technology Note" for the "development", "production" or "use" of equipment controlled by 5A002 or 5B002 or "software" controlled by 5D002.

License Requirements

Supplement No. 2 to Part 774
GENERAL TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE NOTES

2. Note: The General Software Note does not apply to "software" controlled by Category 5 - part 2 ("Information Security"). For "software" controlled by Category 5, part 2, see Supplement No. 1 to part 774, Category 5, part 2, Note 3 - Cryptography Note.

SUPPLEMENT NO. 6 TO PART 742
Guidelines for Submitting a Classification Request for Encryption Items

Classification requests for encryption items must be submitted on Form BXA-748P, in accordance with Section 748.3 of the EAR. Insert in Block 9: Special Purpose of the Form BXA-748P, the phrase "License Exception ENC" or "NLR", based on your classification request. Failure to insert this phrase will delay processing. In addition, the Bureau of Export Administration recommends that such requests be delivered via courier service to: Bureau of Export Administration, Office of Exporter Services, Room 2705, 14th Street and Pennsylvania Ave., N.W. Washington, D.C. 20230. In addition, you must send a copy of the request and all supporting documents to: Attn: ENC Encryption Request Coordinator, 9800 Savage Road, Suite 6131, Fort Meade, MD 20755-6000.


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