Court nixes RIAA subpoenas

A federal appeals court in Missouri ruled Tuesday that the Recording Industry Association of America must file lawsuits before obtaining the names of alleged copyright infringers from Internet service providers.

The decision mimics similar rulings in other courts, and will not change the way that the RIAA has pursued its lawsuits against individual file-swappers. The group has filed suits against unnamed "John Doe" individuals for the last year. Previously, it had sought the names of individuals with subpoenas issued before trial.