Is source-code escrow a viable compromise?

The author examines a concept called source-code escrow-having a third party hold the source code in trust until and if certain conditions are fulfilled-which has recently been touted as a good compromise to the problem that software vendors often refuse to provide source code to their users, who typically want source code for security. The author discusses the issues involved in deciding when and under what circumstances customers get a vendor´s source code. It is concluded that escrow can protect both the user´s and vendor´s concerns about source-code access as long as it is handled carefully.<>