In a first, a court has recognized the "right to identity" in a case filed by a man demanding the disclosure of information on someone who allegedly impersonated him online, his lawyer said Friday.

While the Osaka District Court rejected his client's request that the impersonator's identity be revealed, it did agree that the plaintiff has the right not to be impersonated online, lawyer Yuichi Nakazawa said.

The Feb. 8 ruling came amid growing concern worldwide about accounts being created on social networking sites by using other people's identities.