Just because someone downloads from a file sharing network, doesn't mean they would have necessarily gone out and bought everything they downloaded. I have discovered so many artists I never would have otherwise, die to cost consraints, thanks to LimeWire.
I have restocked my whole collection on mp3 thanks to livewre, and also found it a fantastic source for exploring "New" music.
My point is about WHY people buy the product. In capitalism there is a thing called, "demand" and if you cut people off from a medium in a "destructive" way, you probably are going to suffer profability and even market loss.
This article pinpoints and makes a perfect example of where people want to go to get this medium now and instead of embrasing that avenue the RIAA turns around a sues people for a pentance. Well, up yours RIAA, I am not going to ever buy another CD! Not because the artist and RIAA don't have the right to sue, but because they are punishing their market for essentially using a medium and not creatively trying to develope another avenue to enjoy their product...They've just pissed off their own market!!
So eventhough I do think it's illegal to pirate music through sharing, I also think the RIAA going after people financially is just dumb business and will ruin something they could develope even better.
All this article has done is prove my point.
No, but it is still stealing - and they certainly won't go out and by it once they've downloaded it.