als ▁court ▁over turn ed ▁a ▁lower ▁court ▁order . ▁The ▁R I AA ▁claims ▁this ▁procedure ▁was ▁san ction ed ▁by ▁the ▁Digital ▁Mill en ni um ▁Copy right ▁Act , ▁but ▁the ▁appe als ▁court ▁ruled ▁that ▁the ▁DM CA ▁reg ulation ▁applies ▁only ▁to ▁data ▁actually ▁hosted ▁by ▁an ▁Internet ▁service ▁provider , ▁rather ▁than ▁data ▁on ▁a ▁customer ' s ▁computer . ▁The ▁United ▁States ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁decl ined ▁to ▁review ▁this ▁r uling ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 4 . ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁the ▁R I AA ▁must ▁now ▁file ▁individual ▁civil ▁su its ▁against ▁each ▁accused ▁file - sh ar er , ▁and ▁the ▁I SP ▁and ▁alleg ed ▁file - sh ar er ▁have ▁more ▁legal ▁a ven ues ▁for ▁prevent ing ▁dis closure ▁of ▁their ▁identity , ▁making ▁the ▁entire ▁process ▁much ▁more ▁expensive , ▁slow ▁and ▁complicated . ▁The ▁court ▁opinion ▁was ▁written ▁by ▁Judge ▁Douglas ▁G ins burg . ▁The ▁R I AA ▁typically ▁files ▁su its ▁against ▁multiple ▁Does . ▁ ▁The ▁R I AA ▁names ▁defend ants ▁based ▁on ▁I SP ▁identification ▁of ▁the ▁subscri ber ▁associated ▁with ▁an ▁IP ▁address , ▁and ▁as ▁such ▁do ▁not ▁know ▁any ▁additional ▁information ▁about ▁a ▁person ▁before ▁they ▁sue . ▁After ▁an ▁Internet ▁subscri ber ' s ▁identity ▁is ▁discovered , ▁but ▁before ▁an ▁individual ▁law suit ▁is ▁file d , ▁the ▁subscri ber ▁is ▁typically ▁offered ▁an ▁opportunity ▁to ▁sett le . ▁The ▁standard ▁settlement ▁is ▁a ▁payment ▁of ▁several ▁thousand