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The following archive was created by hippie-mail 7.98617-22 on Fri Aug 21 1998 - 17:19:03 ADT
Robert Hettinga (rah@shipwright.com)
Thu, 25 Jun 1998 08:30:57 -0400
Microsoft patents blinding.
Looks like we get to wait another 20 years...
Cheers,
Bob Hettinga
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Date: Thu, 25 Jun 1998 08:54:30 +0200
From: Ian Grigg <iang@systemics.com>
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CC: "Muller, John D." <JMuller@brobeck.com>
Subject: Microsoft patent
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Muller, John D. wrote:
> And now for something completely different: Microsoft recently received
> a U.S. patent for an untraceable electronic cash protocol. Check out
> http://www.patents.ibm.com/details?patent_number=5768385.
It has always been my view that the patents held by DigiCash afforded
no protection to the company, it was all smoke and mirrors, which had
even the most cynical befuddled and applauding.
Now that Microsoft has a patent on "blinding" one wonders what next?
Suing M$ is not really a rational option except as a prelude for a
takeover. Having said that, a takeover by M$ of DigiCash would
represent a very good solution for the company, in all respects.
iang
For reference, the salient details. Any cryptographers care to
translate this into a human-readable description of the algorithm?
===================================
INVENTORS: Simon; Daniel R., Redmond, WA
ASSIGNEES: Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, WA
ISSUED: June 16, 1998
FILED: Aug. 29, 1995
SERIAL NUMBER: 521124
...
ABSTRACT: An electronic cash protocol including the steps of using a
one-way function f1 (x) to generate an image f1 (x1) from a preimage
x1 ; sending the image f1 (x1) in an unblinded form to a second party;
and receiving from the second party a note including a digital
signature, wherein the note represents a commitment by the second
party to credit a predetermined amount of money to a first presenter
of the preimage x1 to the second party.
References {9 Chaum patents}
What is claimed is:
27. A method of implementing an electronic cash protocol comprising
the steps of:
* obtaining a first image f(x1) and a first preimage x1, wherein
said first preimage x1 has a predetermined monetary value associated
therewith;
* selecting a plurality of preimages xi, wherein I is an integer
index that runs from 1 to n, where n is a positive integer;
* using a second one-way function f2 (x) to generate a plurality of
images f2 (xi) from the second preimages xi ;
* sending the first preimage x1 and an unblinded form of all of the
images f2 (xi) to the second party; and
* receiving from the second party a plurality of each including a
digital signature, said plurality of notes equal in number to the
plurality of images f2 (xi) and representing a plurality of
predetermined amounts, each of said plurality of notes representing a
commitment by the second party to credit a corresponding different one
of said plurality of predetermined amounts of money to a first
presenter of the corresponding preimage xi to the second party,
wherein the total of said plurality of predetermined amounts of money
equals said predetermined monetary value.
References, etc...
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-----------------
Robert A. Hettinga
Philodox Financial Technology Evangelism
44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA
"... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity,
[predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to
experience." -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'
Philodox: <http://www.philodox.com>, e$: <http://www.shipwright.com/>
<mailto: rah@philodox.com> <mailto: rah@shipwright.com>
The following archive was created by hippie-mail 7.98617-22 on Fri Aug 21 1998 - 17:19:03 ADT