SINGAPORE : In a surprise court ruling on Thursday, a judge decided that Pacific Internet (PacNet) does not have to give up the names of its subscribers who had been accused of ripping content from Odex.

Odex is a distributor of Japanese anime.

The ruling raised eyebrows because two other Internet service providers (ISP) - SingNet and StarHub - had earlier been ordered to give up the names of their subscribers accused of similar violations.

StarHub said the company is now assessing its options.

As for SingNet, it said it had provided Odex with the names only after the firm had produced a court order.

Since May, Odex has been cracking down on freeloaders. It was successful in getting SingNet and StarHub to reveal the identities of customers who downloaded its anime illegally.

The company, the main anime distributor in Singapore, subsequently served legal letters on the freeloaders - many of them teens - reportedly demanding payments of between S$3,000 and S$5,000.

The tough action angered some users. An Odex company director, Mr Stephen Sing, had reportedly received death threats from angry anime fans.

Odex said that the settlements it is seeking are not for damages, but reimbursement of expenses incurred in pursuing enforcement matters. - CNA /ls