From: "John Lowry" <jlowry(_at_)bbn(_dot_)com>
Date: Thu, 19 Aug 93 17:50:44 EDT
>> >I could imagine a MIME/PEM compliant content which has as attributes such
>> disclaimers.
>> Once more, with feeling: HOW DO YOU GET THE PERSON
>> WHO STOLE YOUR KEY TO USE THE PROPER FORM??!
Who cares. This was discussed two years ago and it is getting old.
The question goes back to "What does a digital signature on an
electronic document really mean". The proper analogue is what is
currently done in the real world for holographic signatures.
Borderline cases will be settled as a part of common law or
legislation. What do you do currently when someone forges your
signature ? What do you do when someone depends on an instrument
that is insufficiently verified ? Mortagages, wills, contracts, etc.
typically require (with feeling) LOTS more than just your signature,
forged or otherwise.
Indeed. As far as the issues of what happens if your key gets stolen,
it occurs to me that this should have all been worked out hundreds of
years ago. After all, it's only relatively recently that holographic
signatures have been accepted as binding as the personal wax seals that
were used. What happened back then if someone stole your seal, and used
it? This seems to me to be an exact analog of what happens if your
digital key gets stolen. I'm not an expert on the fine points of old
English Common Law, but I imagine there must be some case history and
common law about such situations. Electronic/digital signatures are an
exciting new technology, but our legal system goes back a long, long
ways; and there is a saying about how the more things change, the more
they stay the same....
- Ted