Discovery Into Unnamed BitTorrent Users Denied

Copyright owners cannot obtain discovery about BitTorrent users beyond the ones linked to IP addresses named in copyright infringement litigation, because information about them is not relevant to the litigation before the court, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois ruled March 30 in consolidated litigation (Pacific Century International Ltd. v. Does 1-37, N.D. Ill., 1:12-cv-01057, 3/30/12).

Chief Judge James F. Holderman granted internet service providers’ motion to quash subpoenas seeking information about additional BitTorrent users, whom the plaintiffs contended may have conspired with the identified users to engage in copyright infringement of their ...