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If a California film production company gets its way, an Ontario Internet service provider could be handing over the identities of hundreds of customers alleged to have engaged in illegal downloading.

L.A.-based Voltage Pictures LLC has brought a motion with the Federal Court of Canada to force Chatham-based TekSavvy Solutions Inc. to disclose the names and addresses associated with about 2,000 internet protocol, or IP, addresses.

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Our customers are just wondering what this really means for them. It’s a bit scary

In a lawsuit against as-yet-unnamed John and Jane Does (filed at the Federal Court in Toronto on Nov. 14), Voltage is seeking compensation under the federal Copyright Act for the unauthorized copying and distributing of its works through file sharing networks.

TekSavvy is not a party to the legal action but Voltage is asking the court to compel the independent ISP to turn over the relevant user information to help identify the alleged infringers.

The move comes within weeks of new copyright legislation coming into effect and shortly after a similar action that resulted in a judge ordering Internet providers to release subscriber names and details to NGN Prima Productions Inc.