browse comments: Purpose and Public Key Cryptography (Was: Re: Simple Solution)

Purpose and Public Key Cryptography (Was: Re: Simple Solution)
Clark Evans (clark.evans@manhattanproject.com)
Fri, 26 Feb 1999 22:20:58 +0000

Browse by: [ date ][ subject ][ author ]
Next message: john@annapolis.net: "WIPO RFC-3"
Previous message: tygger@netropolis.net: "regarding the domain name issue"

Anyway, here is the next best thing:

Tie the lease to a non-trivial purpose given during
domain registration. If the sale would change the
purpose or if the purpose is too vague, then it
would invalidate the lease. If the purpose +
domain name would violate a trademark, then
the court case becomes decideable.

For those worried about revealing the purpose, use
public key crytography:

Un-Coded Message -> Coded Message -> Un-Coded Message

Encode Decode
Key Key

Here's how it works:

The domain registrant takes their Un-Coded Purpose,
and encrypts it with an Encode Key. They then send
the Coded Message and the Encode Key with their
registration.

Later on if there is a dispute, the registrant
must provide a Decode Key which can be used to
produce the claimed purpose. Afer the purpose
is Decoded, it is re-coded using the Encode Key
provided during registration to generate what
should be the Coded Message also given
during registration.

Thus you have a way to store the purpose using
public key cryptography, so that it is available
during a dispute if needed, but not earlier.

Clark Evans