A Belgian court has ruled that Belgian broadband ISP Scarlet Extended SA must block illegal file sharing on its network, which could set a broader European precedent if the entertainment industry gets its way. The ISP will supposedly be forced to start using Audible Magic technology to detect and stop transfers, though that technology isn't particularly effective when dealing with encrypted traffic.

ISPs have both a legal responsibility and the technical means to tackle piracy -IFPI

The RIAA's global wing, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) is very pleased by the ruling:

"This is an extremely significant ruling which bears out exactly what we have been saying for the last two years - that the internet’s gatekeepers, the ISPs, have a responsibility to help control copyright-infringing traffic on their networks. The court has confirmed that the ISPs have both a legal responsibility and the technical means to tackle piracy. This is a decision that we hope will set the mould for government policy and for courts in other countries in Europe and around the world."

While there have been no similar court rulings in the States yet, the nation's largest ISP (AT&T) recently announced they'd voluntarily be fighting network piracy. Piracy has been the not-so-quiet killer app that's been driving broadband adoption globally for years, so ISPs throttle traffic to conserve bandwidth, but they aren't inclined to want to lock down distribution completely.