Luxembourg - An advocate general of the European Union's highest court has ruled that, unlike in the U.S., Internet service providers in Europe should not be required to turn over the identities of suspected file-swappers sued for copyright infringement in civil court, Ars Technica reported.

The European Court of Justice will now review the advocate general's opinion, which involved a lawsuit filed by Spain's music label trade group Promusicae against Spanish ISP Telefonica.

Telefonica refused to comply with Promusicae's request to turn over the identities of suspected file-swappers on the Kazaa network, saying the law only requires that it comply in criminal cases, not civil copyright claims.

"It is important that, in order to effectively tackle online infringement, copyright holders should have the possibility to access such data in civil cases rather than being required to pursue criminal action," a spokesperson for the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), an international music industry trade group, told Ars Technica.

Related Links:
http://tinyurl.com/ywp3p4 (Ars Technica)

http://blog.wired.com/music/2007/07/top-eu-court-of.html

http://www.ifpi.org