Constructing Electronic Marketplaces using Peer-to-Peer Technology

Due to the widespread appearance of filesharing systems like Napster, the peer-to-peer concept has recently become well known. So far, these file-sharing systems have been used for the exchange of digital goods. We recommend a concept, based on that of the file-sharing system, for a decentralized electronic marketplace that focuses on the exchange of physical goods. In contrast to file-sharing systems, the decentralized electronic marketplace would emphasize the decentralized management of transactions instead of the delivery of the goods themselves, since it would be impossible to distribute the traded goods via digital networks. Such a concept can be imagined as a “Napster for transactions”, the difference being that this peer-to-peer system would be used for files that contain parts of a transaction e.g. a demand document, a supply document, or an invoice document instead of for the exchange of audio and video files. In contrast to conventional filesharing systems, these transa...

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2003
• Where: HICSS
• Authors: Nick Gehrke, Matthias Schumann
• Keywords: Biometrics, Decentralized Electronic Marketplace, File-sharing Systems, Filesharing Systems, HICSS 2003, System Sciences