Battles over online anonymity aren't new, and we've made a lot of progress clarifying the legal rules.  Usually, when a plaintiff sues an unknown defendant (called a "Doe"), the court requires the plaintiff to show that its case has some merit before issuing a subpoena to identify the defendant (sometimes called an "unmasking subpoena").  This judicial review balances the plaintiffs' rights to pursue unknown defendants against the potentially significant consequences of unmasking, including the possibility that unmasked defendants will be punished outside the courtroom (such as an ... Read More