SBC Communications, the 2nd largest "Baby Bell" (regional phone operator, Verizon being the biggest "Baby Bell") in the U.S., has refused to hand out its subscribers' personal details to the RIAA.
Despite Verizon losing its similiar case in June, SBC has announced that it will fight every single one of the subpoenas in court if necessary or until the court decides that they have to hand out the details for every subpoena request they receive.
SBC has sued the RIAA over the subpoena demands in California. SBC is the biggest broadband provider in the U.S. with over three million broadband subscribers. It is also the only ISP since Verizon lost its case in June that has refused to co-operate with RIAA. RIAA has quickly responded to SBC's statements pointing out to a recent SBC's print advertisement that said, in part: "Download all the music you like. And all the music you sort of, kind of, maybe even a little bit like. Go MP3 crazy. Try new music. Build a song library. Whatever." and claimed the SBC's only motivation to protect its customers against RIAA is pure greed. According to SBC, last time the ad was run was in January 2002 and it is totally "irrelevant to the current issue of consumer privacy and protection".
Source: New York Times (requires free registration)
SBC has sued the RIAA over the subpoena demands in California. SBC is the biggest broadband provider in the U.S. with over three million broadband subscribers. It is also the only ISP since Verizon lost its case in June that has refused to co-operate with RIAA. RIAA has quickly responded to SBC's statements pointing out to a recent SBC's print advertisement that said, in part: "Download all the music you like. And all the music you sort of, kind of, maybe even a little bit like. Go MP3 crazy. Try new music. Build a song library. Whatever." and claimed the SBC's only motivation to protect its customers against RIAA is pure greed. According to SBC, last time the ad was run was in January 2002 and it is totally "irrelevant to the current issue of consumer privacy and protection".
Source: New York Times (requires free registration)
