Verizon gets respite in RIAA fight

A federal appeals court has extended the wait to see if Verizon Communications must give up the identity of a subscriber accused of trading copyrighted files online. Two weeks ago, a district court gave Verizon 14 days to identify its subscriber to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Verizon had contested the RIAA's ability to issue a subpoena for the information, saying the process violated its subscribers' privacy and was likely unconstitutional. The district court disagreed, but an appeals court has taken the case. The higher court put the 14 day deadline on hold, and is expected to make its own ruling this month on whether Verizon has to comply immediately. A full hearing on the merits of the subpoena is scheduled for Sept. 16, a Verizon representative said.