Just when you thought things couldn't get worse the AP reports that Judge orders Verizon to turn over user information to RIAA, where Verizon must give over information about a "music pirate" who was sharing over 600 songs (wow! he said, with nearly 1,000 songs on his iTunes) over the Internet.
By Ted Bridis
Jan. 21, 2003 | WASHINGTON (AP) --Internet providers must abide by music industry requests to track down computer users who illegally download music, a federal judge ruled Tuesday in a case that could dramatically increase online pirates' risk of being caught.
The decision by U.S. District Judge John D. Bates upheld the recording industry's powers under a 1998 law to compel Verizon Communications Inc. to identify one of its Internet subscribers who was suspected of illegally trading music or movies online. The music industry knew only a numerical Internet address this person was using.
Verizon promised Tuesday to appeal and said it would not immediately provide its customer's identity. The ruling had "troubling ramifications" for future growth of the Internet, said Verizon's associate general counsel, Sarah B. Deutsch.
Face it, folks, they don't want us to have our Internet.