Re: Initial Proposal to solve this non-US issue

[john@dhh.gt.org]

> But the US legal system is rather obscure,...

Don't believe what you see on television.

> ...so the statement above may not be true there.

I believe it is.

> I heared about microwave oven instructions stating "do not dry your pet
> in the oven", because someone did and said "it didn't say I must not do
> this" and actually won in court... X-/

Don't believe insurance industry propaganda, either.

> Interesting question. If a maintainer puts a package in main, which may
> not be used in the US and GB and he is from France, what are the legal
> consequences also wrt liability?

If you sell a CD full of crypto to this frenchman and he takes it home and
gets arrested what are the legal consequences also wrt liability?  If he
downloads it from your ftp site why would you expect different treatment?

> What if he didn't know about the prohibition?

Minnesota has much stricter fireworks laws than Wisconsin.  Consequently,
every year in late June fireworks stores pop up all along the border just
inside Wisconsin and always on the side of the road most convenient for
Minnesota-bound travelers.  Recently the Minnesota police have taken to
watching these stores from unmarked cars.  They observe a car with
Minnesota plates stop at the store, watch the occupants go into the store
and come out again, follow the car across into Minnesota, and then stop it
and search it.  When they find the fireworks they confiscate them and fine
the smugglers.  They, cannot, however, do anything to the stores: the
fireworks are legal here.  The smugglers also can do nothing to the
stores.  If they were to claim that the store should have warned them about
the Minnesota law they would be laughed out of court.  It is not the duty
of a resident of another jurisdiction to tell you the laws of yours.
-- 
John Hasler                This posting is in the public domain.
john@dhh.gt.org		   Do with it what you will.
Dancing Horse Hill         Make money from it if you can; I don't mind.
Elmwood, Wisconsin         Do not send email advertisements to this address.