[amsat-bb] Who Let THIS Info Out?

[Bruce Perens]

I made "numerous legal threats"? I don't think so.

Given what a tremendous whopper that one is, I can't attach any credibility
to the rest of your statement, except for one thing:

It is true that Michelle and Patrick, and for that matter I, feel that
AMSAT's NDAs prevent it from being able to achieve a workable ITAR strategy.

You simply can't use the ITAR 120.11 and EAR 734.7 carve-outs AND have
secret or proprietary portions of any technology listed under the United
States Munitions List. Once there is secret or proprietary technology, all
of the nasty restrictions of ITAR are unavoidable.

It is possible to deal with secrets outside of the technology, such as
launch schedules, and it is possible to compartmentalize some
ITAR-protected information, for example technology specific to the launch
which is not necessary for broader cooperations  such as designing and
constructing a satellite.

Thus it is necessary for AMSAT to examine all existing NDAs, separate
itself from ones that are no longer necessary, and carefully
compartmentalize any which need to stand for the moment. Michelle and
Patrick attempted to initiate this process, but have been blocked.

Thanks

Bruce