Information control II: Technology transfer at issue: The industry viewpoint: Economics makes industry a cautious ally in academia's fight against U.S. government attempts to stem the free flow of ideas

The deputy director of the Central Intelligence Agency told scientists and engineers at a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science on Jan. 7, 1982, that they must control the exportation of technical information voluntarily or face legislative action that will “slam shut” the door through which United States expertise is reaching military and economic adversaries.4 “In terms of harm to the national interest,” the CIA official said, “it makes little difference whether the data is copied from technical journals in a library or given away... to an agent of a foreign power.”