ISPs ordered to hand over file-sharer details

The High Court has ordered 10 ISPs to hand over the customer details of 150 individuals accused of illegally sharing and downloading desktop software on the web.

The illegal file-sharers were identified after a 12-month covert investigation by the Federation Against Software Theft (Fast), called Operation Tracker.

The individuals all use false names but Fast has now secured the court orders that will force the internet service providers to hand over the full personal details - including names, addresses and dates of birth - of the 150 individuals.

BT, NTL, Telewest and Tiscali are among the ISPs named in the court order and Judge Raynor said there is "an overwhelming case" for ordering such customer details to be released.

Fast will work with the police and Crown Prosecution Service once the individuals have been identified.

John Lovelock, director general at Fast, hailed it as a landmark case for the software industry in the battle against piracy but warned it is only the beginning.

He told silicon.com: "It's the first case of its kind and it is important because more illegal software... gets traded online now than at car boot sales."

Fast said it also suspects that some of the individuals were using their employer's corporate networks for trading the software illegally and said the next phase of the operation will target business IP addresses rather than just the individual.

Penalties for illegal communication to the public of copyright works, including software, are punishable by up to two years imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine.

The Fast case comes just a week after two illegal music downloaders were ordered to pay thousands of pounds in fines to the UK record industry.