Justice Konrad von Finckenstein ruled that the association did not prove there was copyright infringement by 29 John and Jane Does, so-called music uploaders who the industry alleges are high-volume music traders.

The decision means that Internet service providers (ISPs) won't have to hand over the users' names, a prospect that had sent a chill through the file-sharing community.

It was more bad news for the recording industry that was scrambling to denounce a study released on the eve of the court decision by researchers at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina which found, contrary to industry claims, that online file sharing isn't responsible for the decline in CD sales.

"This makes it open season on any intellectual property product," said one music industry insider. "Every single person who works for a record company should be concerned about their job after this ruling." Source.

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