er ▁software ▁to ▁share ▁and ▁download ▁films ▁and ▁television ▁programs , ▁and ▁that ▁ii Net ▁had ▁not ▁acted ▁against ▁the ▁alleg ed ▁file - sh ar ers ▁despite ▁ 1 8 ▁notifications ▁of ▁copy right ▁in fr ing ement . ▁The ▁Federal ▁Court ▁found ▁that ▁this ▁was ▁not ▁the ▁case . ▁ ▁The ▁case ▁was ▁taken ▁on ▁appeal ▁to ▁the ▁High ▁Court ▁of ▁Australia ▁where ▁it ▁was ▁dismiss ed ▁un anim ously , ▁finding ▁that ▁ii Net ▁" had ▁no ▁direct ▁technical ▁power " ▁to ▁stop ▁users ▁from ▁downloading ▁copy right ed ▁material ▁il leg ally . ▁ ▁A ctions ▁against ▁file ▁sharing ▁services ▁ ▁Lit ig ation ▁ ▁The ▁R I AA ▁first ▁noticed ▁that ▁Internet ▁sites ▁were ▁offering ▁una ut hor ized ▁record ings ▁in ▁early ▁ 1 9 9 7 , ▁so ▁the ▁organization ▁began ▁sending ▁ce ase - and - des ist ▁letters ▁to ▁the ▁operators ▁of ▁such ▁sites , ▁leading ▁to ▁volunt ary ▁shut down s ▁of ▁some . ▁ ▁In ▁mid - 1 9 9 7 , ▁the ▁R I AA ▁took ▁the ▁recording ▁industry ' s ▁first ▁collect ive ▁legal ▁action ▁against ▁online ▁file - sh aring ▁of ▁music , ▁fil ing ▁copy right ▁in fr ing ement ▁claims ▁against ▁the ▁operators ▁of ▁three ▁U . S .- based ▁MP 3 ▁file - sh aring ▁sites . ▁Each ▁case ▁could ▁have ▁resulted ▁in ▁a ▁stat ut ory ▁damage ▁award ▁of ▁over ▁$ 1 ▁million , ▁but ▁all ▁three ▁were ▁settled ▁out - of - court ▁with