Of course it was blackmail. The reason people are confused about this is they assume that blackmail is bad. Blackmail is good. The alternative is releasing the damaging information. Blackmail gives the person who has something to hide a chance to keep the information quiet. He has more options than he would have in a system where blackmail was impossible. Laws against blackmail are even more senseless than laws against libel. In the case of blackmail, the supposed victim is asking not to be allowed to take actions which are in his own self interest, a classic case of protecting someone from himself. Fortunately, cryptography will liberate blackmail just as it will other forms of communications. BlackMonger