Dutch judge protects privacy of file swappers By Reuters http://news.com.com/Dutch+judge+protects+privacy+of+file+swappers/2100-1030_ 3-5785337.html
Story last modified Tue Jul 12 14:54:00 PDT 2005 A Dutch judge ruled on Tuesday that Internet service providers would not have to hand over names or addresses of customers who may be illegally swapping films, music and other copyright-protected files. Brein, a Dutch organization representing 52 media and entertainment companies, had acquired unique computer identification numbers, so-called IP addresses, of file swappers and requested personal details behind these IP addresses from five large Internet service providers. The service providers--UPC, Essent, Tiscali, Wanadoo and KPN--refused to hand over the details, arguing that only a criminal trial court could demand them. The case was subsequently brought to a civil court in the city of Utrecht, where a judge ruled that although he was allowed to order the ISPs to submit the personal data, the plaintiffs had not met the necessary conditions to warrant such an order. "Brein has sought help from a research company, which has looked at the shared folders on computers of the file swappers. In that process it may have accessed private files," the judge said in the court ruling. "The judge does not deem this correct, because according to Dutch law, privacy is insufficiently protected in the United States," the ruling said. Christiaan Alberdingk Thijm, the attorney for the five ISPs, welcomed the ruling as "an important victory for the privacy of Internet users. "Private organizations cannot start sniffing around on someone else's computer and collect data," he added. Story Copyright © 2005 Reuters Limited You are a subscribed member of the infowarrior list. Visit www.infowarrior.org for list information or to unsubscribe. This message may be redistributed freely in its entirety. Any and all copyrights appearing in list messages are maintained by their respective owners.
