Harry Potter Makes Legal History
May 12, 2003
News
According to this article in the Independent, the recent court injunction issued in Britian has been the first time a “John Doe” order has ever been issued in that country.
“To our knowledge this is the first time in this country in over 150 years that a defendant is presently unknown”, said Keith Schilling, Ms Rowling’s solicitor. “It has therefore established an important legal precedent, particularly in the area of intellectual property piracy.”…
Though never before invoked in Britain, John Doe orders have long been used in America to enable action to be taken against people whose identities are not known.