The exponential growth of the internet is also seeing an increase in the number of legal actions against “John Doe” defendants. John Doe is really synonymous with an anonymous speaker (blogger), who may be liable for claims such as copyright infringement, trademark infringement, or defamation. Fortunately, there is guidance from the courts so your company can increase its chances of identifying these anonymous bloggers, if necessary.

If you are fortunate enough to have the anonymous blogger’s IP address, then there are online services through which you can get more information concerning the computer, tablet or smartphone from which the post was made, such as the city, and possibly the name of the organization. However, to get the name on the account with the internet service provider (ISP) (such as WordPress, or Google), your company will need to get a court order. The ISPs are not required to connect the dots for you.