A US court has ordered an internet service provider to reveal the identity of a user accused of illegally downloading hundreds of copyrighted songs. The ruling is a landmark for the music industry. The ISP involved, Verizon, has said it will appeal. But if that is unsuccessful, the ruling will clear the way for copyright holders to pursue many thousands of individuals suspected of copyright infringement through peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing networks. Cary Sherman, president of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), which brought the case, said: “Now that the court has ordered Verizon to live up to its obligation under the law, we look forward to contacting the account holder whose identity we were seeking so we can let them know that what they are doing is illegal.” Full Story