I do think this is important because to me it appears to invalidate
any patent claims that maybe made in regards to email signing with
public key data coming from dns.
You have just seen relevant posts in public about using dns to get
public key for email signature verification going back to 1993.
Now I'd like to revisit Yahoo's patent application 805181 available at
http://appft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=PG01&s1=805181.APN.&OS=APN/805181&RS=APN/805181
I'm not a patent lawyer but it appears the main topic of this patent
is in fact email signature validation by retrieving public key in dns
and its just been shown that that is not patentable as it has been
in public discussions and considerations 10 years back and more.
The author of the patent ("inventor") is on this list, he probably should
remember that he had to sign USPTO notice (before submitting application)
saying that any relevant prior art he becomes aware of must be disclosed
to USPTO. I'd like to request confirmation from that my post and/or
relevant messages in PEM archive will be disclosed as possible relevant
prior art for USPTO consideration.
And personally from this point on, I'll consider any patent claims in
regards to email authentication with public key retrieval from dns to
be void - this likely will impact GNU projects as they will no longer
have to consider Y! restricted DK license.
--
William Leibzon
Elan Networks
william(_at_)elan(_dot_)net