Lord_of_the_Dense
October 28th, 2004, 10:28 PM
Public Interest Groups Help Protect Anonymity of Accused Infringers
Pennsylvania - A district court in eastern Pennsylvania has issued an order that will force the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) to better respect the privacy and due process rights of people it has accused of copyright infringement. After RIAA members asked the court to issue subpoenas to Internet Service Providers (ISPs) for the names and addresses of people they suspect of infringement, the court issued an order that the ISPs must first send their customers detailed notices about the subpoenas, including information about how the accused suspects can contest the subpoenas.
The controversy arose after the music industry filed a flood of lawsuits against anonymous individuals whom the industry claimed were sharing copyrighted music. Because the industry did not know the identities of the individuals, it served subpoenas to the individuals' ISPs seeking their names. The court held that before the ISPs turn over these names, they must send notices to the individuals advising them of their rights. This allows a targeted individual to make an intelligent decision about what steps to take before his or her identity is disclosed.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), Public Citizen, the national American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and the ACLU's Pennsylvania affiliate participated in the case as friends of the court. The organizations have been heavily involved in protecting the right to anonymous speech and ensuring that people sued for copyright violations are made aware of their rights.
Read entire story here (http://www.eff.org/news/archives/2004_10.php#002051).
Pennsylvania - A district court in eastern Pennsylvania has issued an order that will force the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) to better respect the privacy and due process rights of people it has accused of copyright infringement. After RIAA members asked the court to issue subpoenas to Internet Service Providers (ISPs) for the names and addresses of people they suspect of infringement, the court issued an order that the ISPs must first send their customers detailed notices about the subpoenas, including information about how the accused suspects can contest the subpoenas.
The controversy arose after the music industry filed a flood of lawsuits against anonymous individuals whom the industry claimed were sharing copyrighted music. Because the industry did not know the identities of the individuals, it served subpoenas to the individuals' ISPs seeking their names. The court held that before the ISPs turn over these names, they must send notices to the individuals advising them of their rights. This allows a targeted individual to make an intelligent decision about what steps to take before his or her identity is disclosed.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), Public Citizen, the national American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and the ACLU's Pennsylvania affiliate participated in the case as friends of the court. The organizations have been heavily involved in protecting the right to anonymous speech and ensuring that people sued for copyright violations are made aware of their rights.
Read entire story here (http://www.eff.org/news/archives/2004_10.php#002051).