By Lisa M Bowman, 5 June 2003 09:44
NEWS US internet service provider Verizon is to bow to recording industry pressure to reveal the identities of four alleged music pirates. Verizon Communications said on Wednesday that it will turn over to a recording industry trade group the names of four subscribers accused of illegal file swapping, after an appellate panel denied the company's request for a delay. In a victory for copyright holders, a panel of the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia refused to intervene in the case and protect the subscribers' identities while the case moves forward. However, final victory for the recording industry is still a way off, with a pending appeal scheduled for a hearing in September that could vindicate Verizon. The case immediately exposes the four defendants to legal action. More broadly, it could pave the way for copyright holders to more easily identify people who trade pirated files on peer-to-peer networks. While file swappers may seek to conceal their identities online, they can usually be discovered by connecting data about online activity to records kept by ISPs such as Verizon. The RIAA cheered the ruling, characterising it as a victory for copyright holders. "The Court of Appeals decision confirms our long-held position that music pirates must be held accountable for their actions and not be allowed to hide behind the company that provides their Internet service," RIAA president Cary Sherman said in a statement. Sarah Deutsch, a vice president at Verizon, said she was disappointed with the ruling. "We intend to comply, but we remain concerned about the RIAA and other copyright and non-copyright holders' potential uses and abuses of these subpoenas," she said. In September, the company will have the chance to argue the validity of the disputed subpoenas at the hearing. A Verizon victory there could prevent it from having to turn over subscribers' identities in other cases, while an RIAA victory may mean a new slew of subpoenas to discover the names of file swappers. Meanwhile, both sides are closely watching for legislation coming soon from a Republican lawmaker that would require copyright holders to file an actual legal case against a suspected infringer before they seek the subscriber's identity via a subpoena. Lisa M Bowman writes for News.com
In order to post a comment you need to be registered and logged in.
Log in or create your silicon.com account below