EFF handled this leading case with the ACLU of Washington State. In it, a federal district court in the Eastern District of Washington held that the identities of 23 participants in an Infospace chatroom were protected from disclosure. The case contained a strong endorsement of the right to anonymous speech online and set out a rigorous test for releasing the identities of John Does who were witnesses, rather than defendants. The test asks:

Was the subpoena brought in good faith?

Does the information relate to a core claim or defense?

Is the identifying information directly and materially relevant to that claim or defense?

Is the information available from other sources?

Please see full Reply Memorandum below for more information.