Verizon appeals RIAA win

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Verizon Communications is asking an appeals court to block a court order that would reveal the identity of an alleged peer-to-peer pirate to the music industry

In what is widely viewed as a test case pitting privacy against copyright laws, Verizon said on Thursday that it would file the request for a stay with the District of Columbia Court of Appeals by the end of the day.

"Verizon will use every legal means to protect its subscribers' privacy," said John Thorne, a senior vice president for Verizon. "If this ruling stands, consumers will be caught in a digital dragnet, not only from record companies alleging infringement of their copyright monopolies, but from anyone who can fill out a simple form."

As previously reported, Verizon has pledged to appeal the Jan. 21 decision by U.S. District Judge John Bates, which said the wording of the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) requires Verizon to give the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) the name of a Kazaa subscriber who allegedly downloaded hundreds of music recordings.

An RIAA spokesman said his organization did not immediately have a response.

In related news: The RIAA website appears to have once again been the target of hackers.

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