ISPs Cannot Be Forced To Store Data on File-Sharers

The good news: The courts have ruled that ISPs can't be forced to store data on file-sharers. The bad news: The ruling was made in Germany. Most Internet service providers log information about their users, such as when they use the service and the IP addresses they were allocated at the time. This information is useful for ISPs' housekeeping but it's also an invaluable resource for copyright trolls looking to track down file-sharers. Can an ISP be forced to collect and retain such data? In a disappointment to rightsholders, a higher regional court in Germany has clarified that ISPs cannot.