Florida Judge Rules IP Address Can't Identify a BitTorrent Pirate 158
An anonymous reader writes "Florida District Court Judge Ursula Ungaro has dismissed a lawsuit brought by Malibu Media against an alleged BitTorrent pirate. Though Malibu Media explained how they geolocated the download site and verified that the IP address was residential rather than a public wifi hotspot, the judge reasoned that the 'Plaintiff has not shown how this geolocation software can establish the identity of the Defendant....Even if this IP address is located within a residence, the geolocation software cannot identify who has access to that residence's computer and who would actually be using it to infringe Plaintiff's copyright.' Judge Ungaro's ruling is not the first of its kind, but it could signal a growing legal trend whereby copyright lawsuits can no longer just hinge on the acquisition of an IP address."
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A competent Judge in Florida? (Score:5, Funny)
There has to be a blind squirrel involved somehow.
Re:GeoLocation is not evidence (Score:2, Funny)
> most GeoLocation services tell me I'm sitting somewhere in France.
How would you prove them wrong? You could put marmite on your baguette, but marmite is also known in France. Perhaps put some marmite on your router?
Sudden outbreak of common sense? (Score:5, Funny)
I mean of all places florida?
Re:Don't get too excited. (Score:4, Funny)
"wouldn't they", nothin' Done and done. [jalopnik.com]