P2P Crackdown: UK court to unmask 'file-sharers'

This article, could do with a littlemore detail e.g. who, or what this organisation called FAST [http://www.fast.org.uk/UK] is? Also to what extent the court order to 'unmask file-sharers' was opposed or could be challenged by the internet providers mentioned. I think the tone of inevitability in announcing this action as the 'first wave' of a supposedly unstoppable process, when this is still quite far off from a successful prosecution is pretty self-defeating and what does this mean for the ISPs who wants to sign up with an ISP that is going to hand over personal details and browsing history

Ten internet service providers have been ordered tohand over the details of 150 UK customers accused ofillegally sharing software.The High Court order follows a 12-month covertinvestigation by the Federation Against Software Theft(Fast).

Among the internet providers are BT, NTL, Telewest andTiscali.

Over the next two weeks, they are expected to providethe names, addresses and other personal details of thealleged file-sharers.

'First wave'

An undercover investigator working for Fast in aproject codenamed Operation Tracker identified 150people suspected of illegally sharing software.

Most file-sharers use false names and e-mailaddresses. So the software anti-piracy group went tothe High Court to force the internet providers to handover customer details.

We expect to be bringing these actions anytime andanywhere we see software being misused Julian Heathcote Hobbins, Fast legal counselThe federation said it would approach the police andCrown Prosecution Service once it has the personalinformation."We can easily take down links, but this does nottackle the root causes of software piracy, because thelinks will reappear elsewhere in a matter of hours,"said John Lovelock, director general at Fast.

"Instead, we plan to take action a lot further, makingan example of the perpetrators to stop them fromstealing and passing on the intellectual property ofour members for good."

The federation accuses the 150 individuals of breakingcopyright law by uploading software and sharing itonline.

Penalties for the illegal communication to the publicof copyrighted works, including software, can attracta maximum punishment of up to two years imprisonmentand/or an unlimited fine.

Julian Heathcote Hobbins, Fast's senior legal counsel,said the court action was "only the first wave of anongoing strategy".

"We expect to be bringing these actions anytime andanywhere we see software being misused," he said.

According to the anti-piracy trade group, the BusinessSoftware Alliance, about a quarter of software used inthe UK is an unlicensed, counterfeit or pirated copy.