Having targeted over 35,000 people since 2003, from college students to a hospitalized teenager in need of a transplant, the RIAA is finally ready to abandon their strategy of filing mass lawsuits against P2P users - and shift the burden to ISPs. Apparently, their tactic of scaring other file sharers into compliance by making an example out of those sued didn't work out as planned, and now they are looking at new options together with several unnamed ISPs.

Under the new plan, the RIAA would alert an ISP when it suspects a user is illegally serving up music. The ISP will then either forward the email or send their own warning to customers asking them to stop. After a few follow-ups, alongside perhaps introducing a slower broadband service, the ISP may cut off the offender's internet access altogether. Those concerned with privacy can also take comfort in the fact that the new scheme will not have ISPs passing user information on to the RIAA.

This is somewhat similar to the "three strikes" anti piracy effort in France though in this case there was reportedly no government pressure behind the plan - with New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo acting only as a broker. How effective will this new strategy be remains to be seen but hopefully it will be a step in the right direction.