Eclipse Aviation Corporation v. John Doe [1]

Eclipse Aviation, a manufacturer of "affordable" jets, recently sent a subpoena [2] to Google seeking to uncover the identities of 28 users who posted on the blog Eclipse Aviation Critic NG [3], which Google hosts on its Blogger [4] service.

The subpoena, which includes a colorful list of pseudonyms such as "Turn-and-Burn," "Bill E. Goat," and "Niner Zulu," does not state why the information is necessary. AINonline [5], an aviation news site, reports:

According to Eclipse president and CEO Vern Raburn, the Albuquerque, N.M. aircraft manufacturer has been irreparably damaged by the “lies” posted by anonymous visitors on the blog, and he seeks to unmask them via the subpoena. But the blog hasn’t been far off the mark on several occasions, suggesting that some of the anonymous posters might be Eclipse employees who could be breaking a non-disclosure agreement signed when they were hired.

According to news reports [6] and comments on Eclipse Aviation Critic NG [7], the website operator, Shane Price, and the impacted users plan to file a motion to quash in Santa Clara Superior Court where the subpoena was filed.

Update:

May 8, 2008 - "John Doe" filed a motion to quash the subpoena [8]

August 2008 - After a change in company management, Eclipse withdrew [9] the lawsuit.