The verdict is in: Telenor, Norway’s largest ISP, will not be legally obligated to block The Pirate Bay as the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) had been hoping to compel via legal action.

A Norwegian district court ruled yesterday that Telenor is not facilitating copyright infringement when its users access The Pirate Bay; the court could find no legal grounds on which it could order the torrent website blocked on Telenor’s lines as a result.

The IFPI’s threat of legal action in March was dismissed by Telenor CEO Ragnar Kårhus saying, “[it] would be the same as demanding that the postal service should open all letters, and decide which ones should be delivered.”

“Obviously we are pleased that the District Court has arrived at this conclusion. At the same time it is important for us to emphasize that this case is not about being in favor of or opposed to copyright, but about whether or not it is reasonable to saddle Internet service providers with a censorship role in respect of content on the Internet,” Kårhus said yesterday in the wake of the ruling.

With legal precedent established, the recording industry can no longer rely on the blacklist as a viable strategy in Norway. Though it is not yet clear if the IFPI will appeal the decision, it does seem likely.