Guido has learned that the anonymous owner of the spoof Steve Auckland twitter account has launched a legal bid to fight the US subpoena threatening to reveal his identity. The attorney representing the spoofer, who agreed to work pro bono after discussions with Guido, aims to file a motion to quash the Northcliffe Media action in a Californian court today. Twitter had agreed to release the personal information of the account holder on Wednesday but it is understood this process will now be delayed. The fight is on.

Meanwhile Guido has obtained the court document upon which the legal action undertaken by the Daily Mail subsidiary is based. The document makes a series of extraordinary allegations against the spoofer, including that he is guilty of fraud, defamation, libel and even that he hacked a computer in the Northcliffe offices. Nortchliffe, apparently with the consent of the Daily Mail and General Trust, then demand he faces a trial by jury in the States:

The spoofer denies all allegations. His lawyer will see them in court…