No need to apologize, because while this seems to mostly be an issue of ethics and social factors, I am not very interested in these issues and more in the spec

No need to apologize, because while this seems to mostly be an issue of ethics and social factors, I am not very interested in these issues and more in the specific legal issues that this practice and these potential trials bring about. To be more specific: As we all know, one IP address does not equal one user (in many instances). So let's say that a case regarding the matter at hand is brought to trial. Could a potential ruling be that the lessee or provider of the IP address is the one liable for damages? It is my opinion that it is a necessity for this issue to be decided upon because we are not dealing with Kazaa and any individually distinguishing characteristics (such as a username) really other than the IP address. If the lessee or provider is found to be the one liable, the consequences of this decision would be massive. And I feel that this is an understatement.