[Python-Dev] openSSL and windows binaries - license

[Jim Jewett]

The OpenSSL library implements some algorithms that are patented.  The
source code should be fine to (re)distribute, but but there may be a
slight legal risk with distributing a binary.

Note that http://www.openssl.org/support/faq.html#LEGAL1 says that we
can avoid building the problem sections with

    ./config no-idea no-mdc2 no-rc5

As best I could tell from

(search for %disabled in)
    http://svn.python.org/view/external/openssl-0.9.8a/Configure
(or search for OPTIONS in)
    http://svn.python.org/view/external/openssl-0.9.8a/Makefile

python just takes the OpenSSL defaults, which excludes RC5 and MDC2
but does build IDEA.  The documentation does not promise any of these
three, and it doesn't look like they're used internally or advertised,
but they are available if built.  It might be safer to explicitly
exclude IDEA from the binary distribution.

(Well, unless the PSF actually has an appropriate license, which is possible.

     http://svn.python.org/view/external/openssl-0.9.8a/README

says where to get them.)

-jJ