Yahoo! News - Record Industry May Not Subpoena Providers
WASHINGTON - The recording industry can't force Internet providers to identify music downloaders, a federal appeals court said Friday in a major decision shielding online privacy while undercutting the industry's anti-piracy campaign.

The ruling does not legalize distributing copyrighted songs over the Internet, but it will greatly increase the cost and effort for the Washington-based Recording Industry Association of America (news - web sites) to track such activity and sue those who are swapping music online.

Let's hear it for privacy!