February 1, 2006 — (WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) — According to reports released Tuesday, England’s High Court has ordered 10 ISPs to hand over information about 150 customers accused of using the Internet to download and share pirated software illegally.
The 150 individuals were identified by Operation Tracker, a 12-month investigation conducted by the Federation Against Software Theft (fast.org.uk), which has secured a court order forcing the ISPs to hand over personal details for the customers, including names, addresses and dates of birth.
After identifying the individuals, FAST says it will work with police and the Crown Prosecution Service to punish the crimes. Penalties for illegal communication of copyright works such as software can include up to two years imprisonment and an unlimited fine.
Among the ISPs targeted by the court order are BT, NTL, Telewest and Tiscali.
FAST also says it believes some of the suspected file traders may have used their employers’ networks for trading the software. The organization’s immediate plans include targeting business IP addresses.
