In a ruling that could fuel debate about online privacy, a federal judge in Seattle has held that IP addresses are not personal information.

FORBES: You are not your computer, rules judge

In an 81-page ruling, published online by the news site Torrentfreak, the judge noted that much of the evidence against founder Kim Dotcom and his associates was "contained on their computer equipment which was seized as a result of the activities of January 2012" - a reference to evidence gathered from search warrants executed in nine countries that month.

BBC: US ordered to release Megaupload evidence to defence

Cook County Circuit Judge Jeffrey Lawrence ordered that the identity of a person known online as Hipcheck16 be turned over to Stone.

FORBES: If you're going to anonymously flame someone online, make sure your target is of age

Past experts, all of whose podcasts are available for online listening, include the most prominent judges in the field: Judge Paul Grimm, Judge John Facciola, Judge Shira Scheindlin, Judge Andrew Peck, Judge David Waxse, and Judge James C.

FORBES: Six Savvy Law & Technology Resources

California federal judge Marilyn Patel put it best in a decision rejecting a patent on a method for sniffing out online fraud.

FORBES: Bilski May Take Down Business Method Patents With Him

Some appellate courts have upheld lawyers' rights to research jurors online, including one in New Jersey that ruled last year that a lower-court judge erred by prohibiting a plaintiffs' attorney from using the Internet in the courtroom.

WSJ: Searching for Details Online, Lawyers Facebook the Jury