EU's Top Court: 'ISPs Don't Have to Name File-Sharers'
Date : 2008 01 29 Category : Web News
European Court of Justice ends dispute between a Spanish music copyright group and a Spanish ISP.
In a big blow to copyright groups' attempts in fighting online piracy, the European Court of Justice ruled today that in civil cases member countries can refuse to provide the names of suspected illegal file-sharers.
The case is an important one because it reaffirms the fact that under EU laws ISPs are required to only give up the names of subscribers in criminal cases and not civil ones.