While file-sharing exists in a gray area where fair use and infringement overlap
and intersect, commerical pirating of recorded material for profit is just all wrong. It is stealing pure and simple. I would much rather see the RIAA and law
enforcement focus their efforts on these unambiguous bad guys than harass
individual file-sharers, who are after all, music fans and customers.

There was a big bust in New York earlier today:

A New York operation accused of pirating music to the tune of millions of dollars was raided this week by U.S. Secret Service agents and record industry investigators in what they called the largest ever seizure of music piracy equipment in the U.S.

About 35,000 pirated CDs, 10,000 DVDs and the equivalent of 421 CD burners were confiscated, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) said in a statement. Three people were arrested in the Monday raid in an industrial complex in the New York City borough of Queens and charged with trafficking counterfeit labels, criminal copyright infringement and trademarket counterfeiting, RIAA said.

The RIAA trade group, representing major recording labels, said the piracy operation had the potential to cost the industry an estimated $90 million annually. About 25 percent of the product seized was Latin music, the RIAA said. [Reuters]