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Advanced Copyright Issues on the Internet - Fenwick & West LLP

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provisi<strong>on</strong>s of subsecti<strong>on</strong> (c)(3)(A). 1031 The service provider, up<strong>on</strong> receipt of <strong>the</strong> subpoena, “shallexpeditiously disclose” <strong>the</strong> informati<strong>on</strong> required by <strong>the</strong> subpoena to <strong>the</strong> copyright owner (orauthorized pers<strong>on</strong>). 1032 The issuance, delivery and enforcement of subpoenas is to be governed(to <strong>the</strong> extent practicable) by <strong>the</strong> provisi<strong>on</strong>s of <strong>the</strong> Federal Rules of Civil Procedure dealing withsubpoenas duces tecum. 1033(1) Jurisdicti<strong>on</strong>al <str<strong>on</strong>g>Issues</str<strong>on</strong>g>The issue of where subpoenas under Secti<strong>on</strong> 512(h) must be sought and where <strong>the</strong>y canbe served was tested in two lawsuits brought by Massachusetts universities against <strong>the</strong> RIAA,Massachusetts Institute of Technology v. RIAA 1034 and Bost<strong>on</strong> College v. RIAA. 1035 In thosecases, <strong>the</strong> universities challenged <strong>the</strong> service in Massachusetts of Secti<strong>on</strong> 512(h) subpoenasissued by a federal district court in Washingt<strong>on</strong>, D.C. The court ruled that Fed. R. Civ. P.45(a)(2) and (b)(2), which require a subpoena to issue from <strong>the</strong> district in which <strong>the</strong> producti<strong>on</strong>is to be made, do not permit a Secti<strong>on</strong> 512(h) subpoena for producti<strong>on</strong> issued in Washingt<strong>on</strong>,D.C. to be validly served in Massachusetts. 1036The RIAA c<strong>on</strong>tended that service of <strong>the</strong> subpoenas was proper because of languagewithin <strong>the</strong> DMCA that <strong>the</strong> RIAA c<strong>on</strong>tended trumps Fed. R. Civ. P. 45. Specifically, <strong>the</strong> RIAApointed to Secti<strong>on</strong> 512(h)(1), which authorizes a copyright owner to request <strong>the</strong> clerk of “any”U.S. district court to issue a subpoena. Sec<strong>on</strong>d, Secti<strong>on</strong> 512(h)(5) requires <strong>the</strong> service providerto disclose <strong>the</strong> requested informati<strong>on</strong> “notwithstanding any o<strong>the</strong>r provisi<strong>on</strong> of law.” Third, whileSecti<strong>on</strong> 512(h)(6) provides that <strong>the</strong> rules regarding service of subpoenas will govern to <strong>the</strong>“greatest extent practicable,” that provisi<strong>on</strong> also c<strong>on</strong>tains an important carve out: “unlesso<strong>the</strong>rwise provided by this secti<strong>on</strong>.” The court rejected <strong>the</strong> RIAA’s arguments, ruling thatSecti<strong>on</strong> 512(h) does not trump <strong>the</strong> ordinary rules regarding service of subpoenas under <strong>the</strong>Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. 1037(2) RIAA v. Veriz<strong>on</strong> <strong>Internet</strong> ServicesThe scope of Secti<strong>on</strong> 512(h) was first tested in <strong>the</strong> case of In re Veriz<strong>on</strong> <strong>Internet</strong>Services, Inc. 1038 In that case, <strong>the</strong> Recording Industry Associati<strong>on</strong> of America (RIAA) served asubpoena under Secti<strong>on</strong> 512(h) <strong>on</strong> Veriz<strong>on</strong> <strong>Internet</strong> Services seeking identifying informati<strong>on</strong>about an an<strong>on</strong>ymous copyright infringer allegedly using Veriz<strong>on</strong>’s network to download1031 Id. § 512(h)(4).1032 Id. § 512(h)(5).1033 Id. § 512(h)(6).1034 1:03-MC-10209-JLT (D. Mass. Au.g 7, 2003).1035 1:03-MC-10210-JLT (D. Mass. Aug. 7, 2003).1036 “District of Columbia Court Lacks Authority to Issue DMCA Subpoenas to Bost<strong>on</strong> Schools,” BNA’s Patent,Trademark & <str<strong>on</strong>g>Copyright</str<strong>on</strong>g> Journal (Aug. 15, 2003) at 458.1037 Id.1038 240 F. Supp. 2d 24 (D.D.C. 2003).- 238 -

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