21Tem
Can trusted timestamping be faked by altering some bytes within the document?
Consider the following scenario:
- I prepare a document with a "Lorem ipsum bla bla" content (Document_A) and get a trusted timestamp for this document (Timestamp_of_document_A).
- After some years, I decide to produce a specific patented product where the patent is taken after Timestamp_of_document_A.
- Patent holder eventually sues me.
- I create a fake document as if I have the patented content before the original patent has been issued.
- As a proof of time of my fake document, I provide court the Timestamp_of_document_A.
Content of my fake document is as follows:
In order to prepare that product, do that, do this.
Here is a photo of the macro shot of my table that I prepared the product:
[Here is some random pixel image]
As you can see, with enough computing power, one can equalize the fake document's hash to Timestamp_of_document_A by changing the random pixel image's pixels. So the court should accept the fake document as valid because it has the trusted timestamp.
How can this issue be resolved?