[ncc-services-wg] Lawsuits and recovering lost IP addresses

Not sure which WG to post this so I'll try here.

Hypothetical case: Suppose there is an ISP that has a /16.  They never 
informed their customers that the assigned PA address space has to be 
returned once they disconnect from their service (see 
http://www.ripe.net/ripe/docs/ipv4-policies.html#pa_pi for how it should be 
done, but wasn't in the past).

Now when they see all sorts of announcements of /24s and /22s from their 
block and they try to recover these lost IPs (contacting the ex-customer or 
their usptreams to terminate announcement), they are threatened with 
lawsuits that deletion of the IPs will cause irrepairable harm to the 
ex-customer and the fact that the LIR never informed the customer of PA 
recovery therefore entitles them to keep the IPs - forever - or for however 
long they wish.

I don't want this to be a long thread on the pros and cons and what should 
or shouldn't be done.  What I am *specifically* looking for is actual 
lawsuits and court cases that have taken place in the RIPE sphere in this 
area and what the outcome of those lawsuits were.

Thanks,
Hank