IP: SSL Certificate "Monopoly" Bears Financial Fruit

[Enzo Michelangeli]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Lucky Green" <shamrock at cypherpunks.to>
To: <cryptography at wasabisystems.com>; <cypherpunks at lne.com>
Sent: Sunday, July 14, 2002 11:55 AM
Subject: RE: IP: SSL Certificate "Monopoly" Bears Financial Fruit


> > The cert shows that it's issued by Equifax, however.
>
> The cert shows as being issued by Equifax because Geotrust purchased
> Equifax's root embedded in major browsers since MSIE 5 on the secondary
> market. (Geotrust purchased more than just the root).

This raises an interesting legal issue. Should any loss from a mis-issued
cert arise to a party who trusted the "Equifax" brand name shown in the cert
chain, but doesn't know (or want to know) anything about Geotrust, who would
be liable?

(Yeah, I know, any liability is usually disclaimed away, but I mean: which
one of the two is supposed to represent the "trusted" thirt party?)

Enzo



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