RIAA targets St Louis in subpoena blitz

St Louis seems to be the latest city targetted in the RIAA's unwholesome war against file sharers.

RIAA subpoenas have been received by Charter Communications, there, demanding the identities of 109 customers.

Writing in the St Louis Post-Dispatch, Peter Shinkle says, "the subpoena calls for the identification on the user of IP address '66.215.231.121 at 9/17/2003 at 1:15 p.m.' For that user, the RIAA is seeking the name, address, telephone number and e-mail address.

"The RIAA documents go on to say that the person using that numeric address used KaZaA, an Internet-based file-sharing system, to offer an array of copyrighted music for downloading by others. The person at that address also used a screen name, rscac001@kaZaA, the RIAA claims.

"The user offered downloaders Whitney Houston's 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody,' Madonna's 'Like a Virgin,' Pink Floyd's 'Mother,' Destiny's Child's 'Say My Name,' MC Hammer's 'Too Legit to Quit' and Michael Jackson's 'You Rock My World,' according to the RIAA."

Shinkle told us no file sharers have yet been in touch with his newspaper.

The subpoenas "instruct Charter" to turn over the requested information to its local law firm, Bryan Cave, within one week, he says in his Post-Dispatch report.