Swap songs? Check online if you're on the record industry's hit list

July 23, 2003

As we already reported earlier the music industry has won 871 subpoenas against people illegally sharing music files on file-sharing networks. Now, thanks to spacegrass, we can read a follow-up story on this on USATODAY in which we can read that music swappers can check online whether their names are on the record industry's 'hit list':

Online swappers wondering whether their names are on the record industry's hit list can check online to see if they're among 871 whose identities were subpoenaed in the first step of unprecedented mass legal action to stem Net piracy. The Recording Industry Association of America says it plans to sue the song traders next month.

The U.S. District Court's Web site (ecf.dcd.uscourts.gov) is searchable, though users must first apply for an account; confirmation comes a week later in the mail, and there are fees for documents. The Electronic Frontier Foundation may offer quicker action: The activist group hopes to soon let the public check the same information through www.eff.org.

The subpoenas, sent to Internet providers, list the screen names of Kazaa users (Bency-987 and Sk8BoyBen, to name two) along with songs the RIAA says were traded. The provider must reveal personal data and inform the subscriber. "We've received 150 subpoenas in two weeks," Verizon's Sarah Deutsch says. "This type of activity is unprecedented."

ISP Verizon directs users to www.subpoenadefense.org for tips on getting a lawyer and fighting charges. Read the complete article here.

Source: USATODAY