I'm curious about something the RIAA claims they are doing.....

From: limilusx (limilusx_at_yahoo.com)
Date: 07/21/03 

Date: 21 Jul 2003 13:38:56 -0700

First off...let me state that I am not asking this question in order
to try to circumvent anything. I'm just curious.

I read in the paper that the RIAA is requesting the identity of users
that they deem have been trading too many music files. They listed
some user names in the paper. "foxyj" was one. OK...lets take that
name. How will the ISP be able to track that name, that is not
necessarily a username on their system, back to a real person? Here is
how I see this:

Floyd has either dial-up or DSL or a cable modem. Floyd connects to
his ISP, is given an IP from a DHCP pool. Floyd then goes to Kazza or
WinMX or wherever to download MP3's. He logs in to Kazza as "foxyj".
Kazza logs "foxyj" logged in from IP 1.2.3.4. OK.....I get that.
BUT....Floyd completes his online time, and shuts down his computer,
therefore releasing the IP 1.2.3.4 back into the DHCP pool. Now the
RIAA requests the logs, and they se that foxyj logged on as IP
1.2.3.4, and they ask the ISP "tell us who has IP 1.2.3.4, and tell us
that user's real name" ell....maybe Floyd's neighbor has the IP
1.2.3.4 now.

Am I missing something? I just don't see how, if the user is not
online at the time they are identified, how anybody would ever know
who they are.

Rookie question, I'm sure, but I just don't get it.

thanks