The Operative Word in File Sharing is "Sharing"

Father Kowalski on the morality -- as distinguished from legality -- of downloading MP3's. (link via Relapsed Catholic)

New technologies often make existing products obsolete. Who buys buggy whips anymore? These new media technologies do not nullify the property rights of artists and publishers, but they do decrease the financial value of those rights! This is a crucial point that the media conglomerates don't want you to realize. All those shiny plastic disks sitting in stores and warehouses are less valuable today than ten years ago, because their content is more easily distributed. This is why I personally believe that swapping MP3's online falls under acceptable private use (morally - not necessarily legally). There may be a moral problem here, but it is the vendors' problem to solve, not the consumers. Ancient Chinese proverb: He who owns the cattle builds the fence. Just because Sony could sell CD's at a big profit for 15 years, it does not follow that they have a moral right to continue doing so. The market changed. They have the duty to change their product or accept that it is of less value now.