I get your point with the ID and the ability of, say, a judge, to get information if it was necessary for an investigation. However, the actual presence of IP provides the stimulus that allows individuals to be detected. Without knowing which individuals downloaded, would there ever be such stimulus to investigate?

Could a legal body approach for instance Limwire and force them to produce blanket details of all users? and their UL/ DL habits?

Am I to believe that is beyond the abilities of those who have created these programmes to protect the identities of those using their systems. In a perverse way, the best users, the ones who share the most, are put most at risk by the issues raised. Curtailing the problem would surely benefit all as safer systems would entice more people to file share and encourage current users to share more.

Not being able to continually tack the file shairng activities of an individual, how could anybody ever investigate the activities of this person?? Of course while there is a trail of data there will also be the inherent risks of detection, but surely there are measures that can be taken to reduce or prevent such immediate access to what is essentially personal data?