Eclipse Aviation has confirmed it is behind an attempt to get Google to release the IP addresses of people who have posted to a website that discusses Eclipse 500 information and is often critical of the company.
Blogger eclipsecritic originally revealed subpoena on April 18.
Shane Price, the blogger who hosts the "Eclipse Aviation Critic NG" site on Google's blogspot service, received and posted an email from Angela Storey, of the San Jose, California-based law firm of Miller, Morton, Caillat & Nevis.
In the email, Storey writes that "Google has received a civil subpoena that demands information regarding the source of anonymous comments posted on your blogeclipsecriticng.blogspot.com".
The email goes on to say: "The case, entitled Eclipse Aviation Corporation v John Doe Jane Doe et al has been filed at the Superior Court of California, county of Santa Clara, case number 108CV110380."
Storey writes that Google, to comply with the law, "intends to provide IP address information for the postings and comments at issue, unless you or the anonymous commenters send us a copy of a motion to quash (or other formal objection filed in court) via email to legal-support@google.com by May 9, 2008 at 5pm Pacific Time".
An employee at Miller, Morton, Caillat & Nevis told Flight that the company is a "proxy" for Eclipse, and that the civil subpoena is in a "holding position" at the moment.
Price, in a blog post from 22 April, says 28 or 29 bloggers have been identified by "name" in an attachment to the subpoena, including the likes of Bill E Goat, Easybakeplane and Coldwetmackerelofreality.
Eclipse has said it is seeking to prevent the anonymous posting of "lies and rumours", and notes that the action is a subpoena, not a lawsuit. The company is also interested in determining if employees are disclosing confidential information to the site, potentially breaking invention and non-disclosure agreements.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
