After years of dragging thousands of people into court for allegedly stealing music through the Internet, the recording industry is set to drop its legal assault as it came up with more effective ways to combat online music piracy. After suing over 35,000 people since 2002 over music piracy, the RIAA is changing its policy and will discontinue suing individuals over unauthorized music sharing.

 

The new strategy, disclosed Friday, doesn't mean the Recording Industry Association of America will stop filing lawsuits. However, legal action will be directed only at people who ignore repeated notices.

 

The RIAA is now making agreements with ISPs (Internet Service Providers) that would have the companies send out emails to customers they believe are "making music available online for others to take." The first three emails will be warnings asking the customer to stop, but a 4th may warrant having your internet connection cut off entirely.

 

The RIAA's lack of effectiveness so far is reflected in the latest numbers from consulting firm the NPD Group. In the third quarter of this year, the number of people sharing music on P2P sites held steady at 14%, but the number of tracks shared rose by 23%. In the meantime, CD sales continue to plummet.

 

Not everyone is pleased with the announcement, and some are worried about the possibility of people being stripped of their Internet access without being convicted of an actual crime.  According to Wired.com, the Motion Picture Association of America is considering a similar strategy. MPAA officials are meeting with their counterparts at ISPs, the website reported.