London – The U.K. High Court has granted telecommunications
firm BT’s request to stay an order requesting it hand over the identities of
ISP subscribers suspected of illegal file-sharing.
Dance music record label
Ministry of Sound hired the law firm of Gallant Macmillan to go after Internet
users suspected of sharing its songs online; the firm identified computer IP
addresses connected to the activity, and is now asking BT to identify the
subscribers in question.
For its part, BT in court cited the leak last week of personal
emails and data on thousands of suspected file-swappers from ACS:Law, another
law firm hired by copyright holders to seek out infringers.
"We want to
ensure broadband subscribers are adequately protected so that rights holders
can pursue their claims for copyright infringement without causing unnecessary
worry to innocent people," BT told the Guardian.
"The incident
involving the ACS:Law data leak has further damaged people’s confidence in the
current process. We’re pleased that the court has agreed to an adjournment so
that our concerns can be examined by the court, this will then act as a precedent/test
case for the future."
Related Links:
http://tinyurl.com/2b84yxn
(Guardian)
http://tinyurl.com/35fxm7t
(ZDNet)
