The Recording Industry Association of America wants to crack down on peer-to-peer file sharing which it claims is responsible for the collapse of music sales.

The trade body is using the tactic of pursuing legal action against hundreds of individual file swappers who it claims are uploading large amounts of copyrighted material for others to download.

But the move has brought an angry response from users of P2P sites, some of whom are threatening to boycott record companies as a result.

The battle between the file sharers and music companies will only become more acrimonious as legal action looms. Keep up with the latest twists and turns in our Special Report.