[kylec]

Interesting research, but I doubt it would hold up in a court. You just can't prove ownership of a Skype profile by an individual unless you subpoena Skype, and if you're going to subpoena someone, you should just subpoena the ISP of the IP directly.

Still, this kind of service could be used by background check agencies, private detectives, etc where the burden of proof is whatever the client decides to accept (though I can think of much easier ways of getting someone's IP address than this).

[pasbesoin]

It holds up "in court" (figuratively) when: It's cheaper to pay a couple of grand than to pay a lawyer; A three -- or six -- strikes commercially-initiated and/or arbitrated policy kicks you off the Net; Private, commercial database records haunt you indefinitely.

I think that, for a majority of people, this will end up being about "clout" rather than the rule of law. And they will feel/find themselves on the short end of that stick. And the more they fear, the more that entrenched interests win by default.

I would guess that we're in agreement. I just become a bit... I don't know what word to use, when I read "in court" these days. Because industry is doing everything it can to ensure that "in court" (literally) is precisely not where the battle is fought.