A federal appeals court has ruled that the recording industry can’t force Internet service providers to identify subscribers who swap music online, according to wire service reports.
The three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia overturned a trial judge’s decision to enforce copyright subpoenas used by the recording industry.
Legal experts believe this ruling will make it harder and more costly to name defendants for future lawsuits. Now the recording industry will have to file civil lawsuits against “John Doe” defendants, based on their Internet addresses, then work through the courts to learn their names.
Earlier this week, the recording industry sent letters to the 50 largest U.S. Internet providers asking them to forward written warnings in the future to subscribers caught swapping music.
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