EFF handled this leading case with the ACLU of Washington State. In it a federal district court in the Eastern District of Washington held that the identities of 23 participants in an Infospace chatroom were protected from disclosure. The case contained a strong endorsement of the right to anonymous speech online and set out a rigorous test for releasing the identities of John Does who were witnesses rather than defendants. The test asks:

• Was the subpoena brought in good faith?
• Does the information relate to a core claim or defense?
• Is the identifying information directly and materially relevant to that claim or defense?
• Is the information available from other sources?