Download of non-US illegal in US?

[Richard Atterer <deb-devel@list02.atterer.net>]

[Please CC, I'm not subscribed]

Currently, <http://www.debian.org/CD/faq/#nonus> tells US residents
that it's OK for them to download software in non-us for private use. 
That was true when non-us contained only crypto - but a while ago AJ
told me that the policy for non-us is "blurry" these days, and it now
also includes patent-encumbered software.

So, should I change the FAQ entry and tell US people not to use
non-us?? Two possible scenarios of trouble are:

 - A US CD vendor sells non-us CDs in the US. By doing so, he might be
   violating US patents.
 - A user downloads and uses non-us software. Technically, he's also
   in violation of the patents, but the risk of him being sued is much
   lower.

I hope I'm misinterpreting something and neither case is actually a
problem...

Cheers,

  Richard

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