Thousands of file-sharers face legal action

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London-based law firm Davenport Lyons said it would apply to the High Court to force Internet service providers to release the names and addresses of 7,000 suspected file-sharers.

They could be subject to civil action in the courts under Britain's copyright laws.

David Gore, a partner at Davenport Lyons, said it had already begun proceedings against several people in Britain who it says have uploaded protected material to the Internet.

The firm won a case at the Patents County Court in London against a woman who shared a pinball game online. She was ordered to pay damages of 6,000 pounds and 10,000 pounds in legal costs to the game's maker, Topware Interactive.

"Illegal file-sharing is a very serious issue resulting in millions of pounds of losses to copyright owners," Gore said in a statement.

Record companies, film studios and games makers have stepped up attempts to curb illegal file-sharing after losing millions of pounds in revenue to online piracy.

A government-backed deal was struck last month between Britain's six biggest Internet service providers and the entertainment industry under which file-sharers would be sent warning letters.

Taking direct action against file-sharers will become an "important and effective" weapon to tackle online piracy, Gore added.

The number of people prosecuted by Davenport Lyons for sharing games could reach 25,000, according to a report in the Times on Wednesday. They would be offered the chance to pay 300 pounds each to settle out of court, the report added.

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