CDR: Judge Backs Anonymous 4 in Case

[anonymous at openpgp.net]

JJJJJMORRISTOWN, N.J.--A Superior Court judge has refused to unmask four individuals who posted anonymous online messages about a software company. 
JJJJJDendrite International, based in Morristown, wanted the judge to publicly identify the Internet users, who it says revealed company secrets and committed libel against Dendrite. 
JJJJJSuperior Court Judge Kenneth C. MacKenzie on Tuesday sided with the defendants. 
JJJJJIn the lawsuit, filed in May, Dendrite alleged false statements about the company were made by three of the defendants, and that two who identified themselves as company employees violated their contracts to not criticize the company. 
JJJJJDendrite requested that Internet portal Yahoo! release the names of the four, identified in court papers as "ajcazz," "gacbar," "xxplrr" and "implementor extrodinaire." 
JJJJJ"By setting forth strict evidentiary standards for compelled identification, and then showing that these standards can produce real protection for anonymity, this decision is a tremendous victory for free speech," said Paul Levy, an attorney with Public Citizen, the consumer advocacy group founded by Ralph Nader, which intervened in the case on behalf of the defendants. 
JJJJJDendrite referred inquiries to their Los Angeles-based lawyer, Robert Bonner, who did not immediately return a telephone message from The Associated Press seeking comment.