According to Variety, the RIAA faces a very serious lawsuit that could force them to stop suing their customers:

The case — filed in Oregon and asserting claims under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act — details the RIAA’s alleged use of “illegal and flawed” methods when investigating people for downloading or swapping copyrighted songs without paying for them.

The plaintiff in the case, disabled single mother Tanya Andersen, claims the RIAA was aware of the faulty methods but has nonetheless filed lawsuits against innocent people in some cases.

Andersen claims she is not the only victim of such tactics and is therefore seeking class-action status for her suit. If the court grants that status, the RIAA could be facing a losing proposition because class-action suits can be extremely risky for defendants, in this case creating the potential for a big payout by the music labels.

Earlier this year, Ars Technica looked into why this hasn’t happened before. Recording Industry vs The People keeps track of all the important court cases.

The RIAA has sued more than 21,000 people since 2003. The EFF recently released a comprehensive report (pdf) on the four-year litigation campaign and its efficacy. Know thy enemy.