> This item is classified as "a strategic commodity / product" in accordance
> with the COCOM Agreements. Export of this item may require an export
> license from the Government.
>
> Does this mean that A) it is of vital strategic importance that terrorists
> are unable to back their data up onto tapes, or B) not only can the
> government not read PGP encrypted messages, they cant afford a $600 dat
> drive, or C) the US is the only country with people capable of spraying
> magnetic particles on a piece of plastic?
No, the trick here is that a 4mm DAT tape written on one drive is completely
unreadable on a different drive, making the process of backing up your data an
encryption process.
(Seriously: 4mm DATs have abominable head alignment problems. I have a
couple of tapes that are the only instantiation of data, but the drive they
were written with is on the fritz. I'm screwed).
--
Bob Forsman thoth@gainesville.fl.us
http://www.gainesville.fl.us/~thoth/
--
Ken Chase mathboy@sizone.org Sonic Interzone $free$ email/news Toronto Canada
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pledge to buy SPAM: help HORMEL sue Cyberpromo! AntiSpam.shmOOze.net/spamdrive/
** U.S. EXPORT LAWS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOUR COUNTRY: DEVELOP YOUR NATIONS' OWN
CRYPTO-EXPORT INDUSTRY! USE 2048bit KEYS FREELY! FLAUNT YOUR SOVEREIGNTY! **