A federal judge has handed a preliminary victory to the recording industry by granting its request to unmask anonymous file swappers accused of copyright infringement. U.S. District Judge Denny Chin ruled Monday that Cablevision, which provides broadband Internet access in Connecticut, New Jersey and New York, can be required to divulge the identities of its subscribers sued over copyright violations. …

Lawyers were asked on Tuesday to reveal the identity of the owner of Sharman Networks, parent company of file-sharing service Kazaa, as the company faced copyright infringement allegations in Sydney, Australia. Lawyers for Universal Music Australia called on Sharman in Australian federal court to reveal the anonymous figure controlling the corporation in its request for evidential discovery. Justice Murray Wilcox …

RealNetworks announced Monday that it has unlocked some of Apple Computer’s most tightly held technology secrets, giving its music a way onto the popular iPod digital music player. The announcement is part of a broader release of RealNetworks software, which will let songs sold from the company’s online store play on a variety of portable devices, including the iPod and …