Judge Rules IP Addresses Not "Personally Identifiable"

yuna49 writes "Online Media Daily reports that a federal judge in Seattle has held that IP addresses are not personal information. 'In order for "personally identifiable information" to be personally identifiable, it must identify a person. But an IP address identifies a computer,' US District Court Judge Richard Jones said in a written decision. Jones issued the ruling in the context of a class-action lawsuit brought by consumers against Microsoft stemming from an update that automatically installed new anti-piracy software. In that case, which dates back to 2006, consumers alleged that Microsoft violated its user agreement by collecting IP addresses in the course of the updates. This ruling flatly contradicts a recent EU decision to the contrary, as well as other cases in the US. Its potential relevance to the RIAA suits should be obvious to anyone who reads Slashdot."

Re:Yup

[sakdoctor]

IPv6 addresses should be like MAC addresses for people.
Issued at birth, and tattooed onto your ass.

Actually I hope the RIAA aren't reading this. It will give them ideas.

Spartacus-1138

[Junior J. Junior III]

I am 192.168.0.1!

No, I am 192.168.0.1!
No, I am 192.168.0.1!
No, I am!
I am!

Legal code for this

[Kupfernigk]

private static String getRuling(LitigationObject individual, RichLitigationObject evilCorporation) throws NYCLException {
if(individual.sues(evilCorporation)) {
return "IP address is not personal identification";
} else if(evilCorporation.sues(individual) {
return "IP address is personal information";
} else return "Please submit amount available to donate to my election campaign";
}

Couldn't this be a potentially good thing?

[billlava]

If the court ruled that IP addresses aren't personally identifiable, then couldn't some crafty lawyer argue that it can't be used to personally identify any defendant? I can hear the courtroom defenses now... "I didn't download and share 10 million hours of music, your honor. The computer located at 10.187.13.37 did."

Re:Spartacus-1138

[istartedi]

I am 192.168.0.1

That's the IP of my gateway. I am the keymaster are you the gatekeeper?

Re:Spartacus-1138

[crimsonknave]

I am 127.0.0.1!

No, I am 127.0.0.1!

No, I am 127.0.0.1!

No, I am!

I am!

There, fixed that for you.

Re:Legal code for this

[Anonymous Coward]

Q: How do you make a RichLitigationObject?
A: Inherit from a LitigationObject.

Re:Yup

[R0UTE]

An IP address DOES identify a computer- but not the way the judge thinks. My IP address identifies my router, which in turn owns 5 to 6 computers.

That's a kick ass router, I wish my router would get a job and buy more computers.

Re:Yup

[Anonymous Coward]

tattooed onto your ass

Your butt crack can then be interpreted as the :: part in the middle of abbreviated addresses.

Re:Yup

[Shadowland]

> IPv6 addresses should be like MAC addresses for people. > Issued at birth, and tattooed onto your ass. Wouldn't that make them IPv666 addresses? IP address of the Beast. :^)

Re:Yup

[zmollusc]

... but my butt crack only has one colon. :-(

Re:And a STREET Address?

[Anonymous Coward]

well i guess i can spoof downloading some kitty porn from your ip address

Somebody call PETA!