Commerce Dept. Putting Export Controls on Geospatial Imagery Software

The Commerce Department is amending export administration regulations to control exports of software designed to “automate the analysis of geospatial imagery,” said an interim final rule. The software will be controlled under a temporary holding classification that lasts for one year from the day the final rule is published. Although the agency believes it's in U.S. national security interests to “immediately” control this software, Commerce seeks comment by March 6. The department said in Monday's Federal Register the software would require an export license for shipments to all countries except Canada, subject to case-by-case license application review.