This follows last week's announcement from the record companies' trade association that it had successfully settled 23 of the 26 cases launched in its first round of litigation against illegal uploaders, beginning in October 2004.
BPI General Counsel Geoff Taylor said:
"Once again the Court has accepted that BPI has evidence that file-sharers in the UK are infringing copyright and has ruled that the identities of these 31 individuals should be disclosed, so that the BPI can take legal action. Today's result is a blow for illegal uploaders who believe that the law simply does not apply to them."
The order for disclosure means that the ISPs concerned now have 14 days in which to give the BPI the names and addresses of the 31 broadband account holders.
Once it receives the names and addresses, the BPI will write to the individuals concerned, setting out the details of their infringements and offering them the opportunity to settle the case before proceedings are issued.
BPI General Counsel Geoff Taylor added:
"This sends a powerful message to people that are illegally distributing music on peer-to-peer networks that they are not anonymous and that they will be held responsible for what they are doing."
