Judge Orders TorrentSpy to Turn Over RAM Server Data on Users

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on June 11, 2007 - 11:23am.

Los Angeles - TorrentSpy, a search engine that provides links to sites that track files available for download on the BitTorrent peer-to-peer file-sharing network, has been ordered by a judge to turn over information on visitors to its site stored on its servers' RAM memory, CNET News.com reported.

The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) sued TorrentSpy in early 2006 for facilitating copyright infringement.

In the course of that case, U.S. District Court Judge Jacqueline Chooljian has ruled that TorrentSpy must turn over RAM data -- which is usually stored only temporarily on servers -- over to the court, disregarding TorrentSpy's privacy and free speech arguments.

Despite the judge's contention that her ruling should be seen as narrow and not intended to set a precedent, the Electronic Frontier Foundation told News.com it found the decision "troubling," and could potentially mean that any website may be compelled to record and store RAM server data if facing a lawsuit.

Judge Chooljian has temporarily stayed her order while TorrentSpy readies an appeal.

http://tinyurl.com/2qbh7j (DMW previous coverage)

http://www.torrentspy.com

Published in DMW Daily, June 11, 2007

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Comments

they keep forgetting about

Submitted by anonymous (not verified) on June 12, 2007 - 10:24pm.

they keep forgetting about what a torrent is.....its just a path to a tracker that facilitates links to other computers... So what if someone downloads a torrent, but doesnt use it? that is NOT illegal. Torrents themselves are not illegal, so hosting them cant be either, rather its the content which you can get from which is. if you stop torrents, dont you also have to technically then also stop the internet?, for that also facilitates direct paths to places which have a copied piece of software. To be honest, the only thing that stinks in this case is that the judge is compromising the privacy of people who have used the site, no authority can take private information without reasonable evidence that illegal occurances have taken place. And as I've said before; can you prove each and every one of the people who downloaded the torrents ended up using them?....don't think so judge. I think you should re-consider what you are actually asking for......what do you people out there think?