The BBC is reporting that 10 Internet Service Providers have been ordered to hand over the identities of 150 UK individuals illegally sharing software online. Among the providers are BT, NTL, Telewest and Tiscali. It follows a 12 month covert investigation by the Federation Against Software Theft (FAST).
Julian Heathcote Hobbins, Fast"s senior legal counsel, said the court action was "only the first wave of an ongoing strategy".
"We expect to be bringing these actions anytime and anywhere we see software being misused," he said.
According to the anti-piracy trade group, the Business Software Alliance, about a quarter of software used in the UK is an unlicensed, counterfeit or pirated copy.