[Gavin Doughtie: Electronic escrow?]

[John Gilmore]

------- Forwarded Message

Date: Wed, 28 Apr 1993 17:56:13 -0700
From: Gavin Doughtie <gavin at well.sf.ca.us>
Message-Id: <199304290056.AA26690 at well.sf.ca.us>
To: gnu at toad.com
Subject: Electronic escrow?

How could two paranoid entities make use of digital cash and encryption to
sell a chunk of data (letUs say something really valuable like a list of
famous women linked to Elvis Presley in 1992) without 1) revealing their
identities to each other or 2) involving a third party to act as an RescrowS
agent.  The paradox IUm thinking about is one where the purchaser of the
information doesnUt want the sellerUs digital cash to be worth anything
until the data being sold can be provably decrypted, and the seller doesnUt
want the info being sold to be decryptable until the cash turns out to be
genuine.

You're a well-known cryptography person; I'm a struggling writer. If
you're not inclined to respond, perhaps you can direct this message to
someone who can.

Thanks very much!

Gavin.

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