Worse case scenario. I think this is a bad precedent, and poor judgement on the part of the defendent ISP, for the small number block they have. The long term potential harm could result in small ISP's not being able to get number blocks thus making it more difficult for small companies to gain better backbone access, from their Tier 1 host counterparts and could trigger a potentional shakeout in the industry.
the current social environment encourages self-interest over responsibility. as i learned when doing the verio m&a of 60+ isps, "think locally, act globally" is the motto of the small to medium isp. as the market continues to 'mature' (think aerospace in the late '60s) the desperation of the small and the greed of the large will not lessen the pressures toward social irresponsibility. randy