Justice Department Sides with RIAA in Battle with Verizon

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on April 23, 2003 - 10:22am.

Washington, DC -- The Department of Justice has sided with the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in its dispute with Verizon Communications over whether Verizon must disclose the identity of a customer who is an alleged copyright infringer. In a brief filed in the U.S. District Court in DC, the Justice Department argued that the provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which requires Internet service providers to turn over information about subscribers who are alleged to be copyright infringers, does not violate the Constitution. Verizon, however, argues that the law violates consumers' rights to privacy and due process. The district court ruled in favor of the RIAA in January, and Verizon appealed the decision
http://www.riaa.org/PR_Story.cfm?id=631