[Evolution] Evolution/GPG proposals for V1.1, Threats and Patents

[Terry Browning <terry nihil demon co uk>]

I've spent the last week or so thinking about new GPG integration features, and I've had more than a little success. My wishlist is now seriously Santa-sized and some of the new usability ideas will make encryption simple for all but the most technophobic, and they are aimed at creating a user-pressure against plaintext and toward encryption as the norm.
Having surpassed my initial intentions, I've turned my thoughts to what could go wrong. Governments' attempts to stop encryption have failed and that battle is now over. Some Governments (e.g. Germany and the EU) are even actively encouraging encryption, but one problem looms: The Beast.
YKW have developed a pattern over the years:
>     1 Let others solve the problems, create the software and develop the market
>     2 Embrace chgdhnf and hjdgfkj extend (sorry - line noise ;-)
>     3 Lock out future competition with patents
This does concern me somewhat.
The vision that I have looming is my ideas helping to build wide acceptance of OpenPGPd email, with PGP picking up the Other OS market. Then one day, the Other Evo includes email encryption which creates messages unreadable by Evo. This method has been used before and it could happen again.
I may, however, have a solution.
My wishlist contains several highly patentable features. If a friendly group were to patent them (I don't have the time, money, experience or the right jurisdiction - I'm in the UK), then open-licence the patents on condition that the emailer only produces encrypted emails if they comply to protocols adopted by the OpenPGP Consortium; this should shut the door on undesirable methods.

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You may have noticed my rather elliptical language regarding the source of the threat. This is an unencrypted email and Echelon reads all unencrypted emails and forwards them to "interested parties". I would be very surprised indeed if that didn't include y'know, and I'd rather keep them in the dark for as long as poss.
If you reply without encryption (obviously, don't encrypt when sending to the list) please avoid mentioning *ahem*. 
Before I disclose any IP to anyone, I want to know if my patent idea is going to be a quick way to get myself lynched or if it's a possible way to keep the future Open.
If you want an encrypted reply, sign your message and make sure your key is with the keyservers.
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Terry
Paranoid idea hamster

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