I want to sue someone.. but don't know who they are, only their IP Address!

Question

I have someones IP address who has been harassing my company.

I want to know if I could get a lawyer and they could subpoena his name from Cox Communications.

Is this possible?

Answer 1

Technically it's possible., but there are things to consider.

IP Addresses can me manually configured or changed by the person using the computer.  Also, they may be using a library computer or be an another public location.

But if it's true harrassment than yes, legally you can subpeona a communications company for user info.

Answer 2

No, Cox protects it's customers privacy, they would not give out an IP address. It would have to be waayyy more serious than simple harassment. IP addresses can be manipulated, contrary to what you see an Law and Order, it just doesn't work that way.

Answer 3

depends on the savvy of the lawyer in such matters and your willingness to spend what it takes if Cox won't cough up the information. Layers don't issue subpoenas, courts do.

even if cox coughed up a name, that would only associate an account holder with the IP address. That proves nothing about who was using it.

What if it is a coffee shop? A house with 10 kids with 50 friends over all the time? A house with an open network?

If you want to track someone down, you are in it for the long haul or don't bother.

And be sure what you allege is true before you start paying a lawyer big bucks because they will happily take your money as long as you are willing to part with it and let you down in the end.

Edit: the technical assessments by two answers above me about fudging IP addresses are wrong.

You can be sure that Cox knows the IP address of every modem at all times, and they keep those records for at least some period of time.

You don't say how you got the IP address, so we can't say if it is real or not, but if it is real, then Cox will know which modem and hence account holder had it at the the time of alleged harassment.

Otherwise the modem would not be able to communicate on the net at all. Just like you may be able to fudge a caller id signal, but if you want your phone to work while you do that, the phone number itself has to stay the same and known to the phone network.

Answer 4

Possible; but proving damages and having any hope of winning would be pretty slim.