File Sharing- Good/ Bad?

The article Artists Break with Industry on File Sharing describes some musicians and artist who think that courts shouldn’t punish the companies that allow file sharing because it is really the person who is downloading the files fault. They believe that even though file sharing companies deprive artist of all their dues, they are a very important way in which people find and are even able to hear those artists’ works. And helps the artist capture a more worldwide audience.

Major recording studios and Movie studios say that by allowing peer-to-peer file sharing it deprives artists of compensation that they would more than likely get if the file sharing was not done or if those who did it were either made to pay the monies owed or given some sort of punishment. Some artist say that if it had not been for illegal file sharing then they would not have as much success as they have today, this is because as stated earlier that is where a lot of artist get "found out". The article mentions about how if it was for file sharing then a lot of just starting out artist would not have made it because the process of being signed by a very known and established label was very difficult.

I believe that even if Record companies and artist continue to sue file sharing companies and even if they win the case and the file sharing company gets put out of business, there will definitely be another one behind it that is probably a little bit better, easier for the consumer to use, and will offer more features. File sharing is a tool that Artist should not necessarily be proud of, but yet should take advantage of because without it some artist wouldn't either be where they are now or they wouldn't be making as far as they are to this day.