Systems and methods for conducting transactions and communications using a trusted third party

摘要

Systems and methods are provided for performing transactions and managing communications using a trusted third party. In one embodiment, a sender transfers an encrypted version of a file (such as a digitally encoded audio track, movie, document, or the like) to someone who wishes to receive it. The receiver computes a first hash of at least a portion of the encrypted data content, and sends the first hash to a third party configured to compare at least a portion of the first hash to at least a portion of a second hash. The receiver receives a file decryption key from the third party, and decrypts at least the portion of the received encrypted data content with the decryption key. In some cases, multiple hashes of the encrypted data content may be computed, each using a different portion of the encrypted data content.

主权项

1. A method performed by a computer system associated with a first party, the computer system comprising a processor and a memory encoded with program instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the computer system to perform the method, the method comprising:
receiving a first plurality of encoded content blocks from a second party computer system, the first plurality of encoded content blocks being associated with a plurality of blocks of a piece of content; receiving a message comprising a second plurality of encrypted encoded content blocks and an encrypted first encryption key from a third party computer system, the second plurality of encrypted encoded content blocks being encrypted using the first encryption key, the encrypted first encryption key being encrypted using a second encryption key associated with the first party; decrypting the encrypted first encryption key using the second encryption key to obtain the first encryption key; decrypting the second plurality of encrypted encoded content blocks using the first encryption key to obtain a second plurality of decrypted encoded content blocks; comparing at least one block of the second plurality of decrypted encoded content blocks with at least one block of the first plurality of encoded content blocks; and determining whether the third party computer system has possession of the first plurality of encoded content blocks based at least in part on the comparison.