Originally Posted by
exerda
I don't believe the US considers commercial encryption technology subject to export control restrictions any longer, to most destinations (a few "rogue states" are the exception). However, China is subject to some restrictions; I doubt, however, you will run into anyone who tries to enforce having an export license (otherwise, anyone bringing a laptop or smartphone with them on a flight to China would have to obtain a license every time...).
Not a license, but an exception/deviation from export control. Don't know what type of business he is in or the software he is taking over, and it does appears he might be taking medical dianosis software. If commercial software, only the vendor knows if it is under export control. The vendor just doesn't sell it off shore or only to the countries it is allow too. It is up to the user not to take it to a country it is not allow. Software we take for granted could be under export control.
Almost all smarth phones will NOT have export control softwares as most of these are from the "phone" store.
It is not the enforcement of the law when taking it over, but the after affect, if it lost or stolen, or discovered in usage.
Other items would be if medical information on people he collected in the US and is on his computer, if the computer is not properly safeguard, and the data is not encrypted, --- then if the computer is stolen or lost, he is now in serious violation of the law.
I don't want to hijack the original thread, but the OP is not an ordinary person taking his personal laptop overseas.
This is one of those, "ignorant of the law" is not excuse for violating the law.
Originally Posted by
planemechanic
Why bring the whole computer at all? The brains are all on the hard drive. Pack the HD, buy a cable to connect the HD to USB and boot from the external drive on any computer in China. Wouldn't that work?
No, because the configuration is for a specific hardware configuration. Also PCs, like Dell, HP, that comes with the OS, can only be restored to the same brand HW. Yes, the vendors are that smart. Not only that, they could also go so far as to restrict the "recovery" to a machine specific to the original country, i.e., if bought in the US, the "recovery" can only on a US machine of the same brand.