[Tuxedo]

Stealing? It's called sharing. And it also while bearing some resemblance to the original tracks on the ripped CD, the MP3 compression algorithm alters it enough that it no longer possesses the same audio fidelity as the original. No different that recording a tape of a CD or record and giving it to a friend. You keep the original, with its superior fidelity. If your friend likes it, maybe they buy a CD. While this in the strictest letter of the law is a copyright infringement, it was seldon, if ever enforced. Only now, when technology has allowed this behavior to escalate into the tens of millions of individuals, has RIAA taken notice. It is a war they cannot win, as hackers and their ilk will devise untraceable methods of file-sharing.

[strela]

Stealing? It's called sharing.

So if a panhandler walks up to me on the street and removes my wallet from my back pocket, is he "sharing" my money and credit cards with me too? Stealing is stealing.

And it also while bearing some resemblance to the original tracks on the ripped CD, the MP3 compression algorithm alters it enough that it no longer possesses the same audio fidelity as the original.

Irrelevant. The artist, the record company, and RIAA all have a legal say in how their product is consumed by the public; they've all agreed to it together. And, if you fail to abide by that agreement, you are a thief. It is as simple as that.