Citizens in the UK responsible for sharing copyright-protected files over the Internet could be in for a nasty shock soon. The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) has won a court ruling which will force UK ISPs to divulge the names and details of internet users suspected of illegally sharing music.
There are apparently 31 people involved in this particular case. The ISPs will have 14 days to provide the names sought by the BPI. The users in question will likely have to pay fines somewhere in the region of £2000. But the BPI sees this as just the beginning of its crusade against illegal music trading on the net.
"We're reluctant to say 'OK, the job's done, let's spend money on making records', I suspect that the problem won't go away just because we've launched two rounds of litigation". - BPI spokesman.