Bit Torrent Users Rejoice...for now

For those familiar with bit torrents and those who use them(or otherwise called pirates by the movie and music industry), you won big in court this week.   District Court Judge Harold Baker has denied a copyright holder the right to subpoena the ISPs of alleged copyright infringers, because an IP-address does not equal a person.  What does this mean?  Well, a bit of background, typically when the music/movie industry wants to pursue somebody who they think is stealing their property online, they typically trace that person through their IP address (every computer on the internet has a unique IP address at a particular time).  When you use bit torrents ( the preferred program of pirates), you have an IP address, they trace it and go after you.  The inherent problem is that just because that IP address traces back to your home, it may not necessarily trace to you as the culprit of the theft of the intellectual property that the music/movie industry claims you stole.  It could be your neighbor using your Wifi without your permission (see previous story on this).  It could be a friend staying for a couple of days using your Internet, etc.  With the many stories making news of people being wrongfully accused of Internet related crimes based on IP addresses, this judge has seen the light and is requiring rights holders to come up with more proof other than an IP address that somebody has done something illegal.  Just because a movie was stolen using your Internet connection, it does not automatically conclude that you are the one who did it.  Bravo!