The problem here is that saying file sharing is at fault is too broad of a statement. It isn't file sharing technology which is a boon in many situations. It isn't the technology behind file sharing or the creator of the program. It is the person or persons who misuse that technology, or facilitates easy sharing of copyrighted works (I.E. Piratebay).
I agree 100% that sharing copyrighted works is wrong. I agree that it takes work and creativity to make those songs, more than we can recognize.
Using the "file sharing hurts the music industry" argument however, is the wrong way to go. I have yet to see an artist or music exec starving, selling his home or being foreclosed upon. This heavy handed broad sweep approach makes the situation much worse.
Still, that does not justify theft, but lets be realistic. In most cases the sharing of music has actually been shown to help sales and boost concert revenues. Many popular artists recognize this.
The music industry needs to stop crying about the fact that they cannot light a cigar with $100 bills, or buy that million dollar car due to profits being lost to file sharing. They need to identify the first person who shares the work, and stop the leak, not nuke the village to prevent issues.
They need to remove the files from the network, not cut off the town's water to stop the leak.
They also need better propaganda and education. Blatantly coming off as a money monger protecting massive profits is simply not working. Try a different approach, a moral approach, and education on the hard work the artists put into each and every song.
Now let's put this into perspective.
A crime is the hurt and pain a child feels because his or her hard working parent is in jail for sharing songs over the Internet, and the emotional and future damage to that child or hard working parent's life, while a city away a rapist gets a much lesser sentence.
A crime is ruining a teenager's or young adult's life over sharing songs over the Internet, while a violent criminal walks the streets on parole, or gets a lesser sentence.
All this while the exec or artist relaxes on a boat in the Caribbean on the impacted revenues they all cry about.
Sharing these works is a crime and SHOULD be punished.
The punishment should be suited to the crime though instead of the heavy handed MAFIAA (MPAA+RIAA=MAFIAA is the current Internet sentiment) approach that is currently being used, and the punishment should be because they shared copyright works, not because of protecting huge profits.
So lets be real. Using the moral ground to disguise blatant greed is despicable at best. If you are worried about your profits (record companies) then stop lying that it hurts the artist. YOU hurt the artist more than anyone sharing files. You, the record labels, take their profits more than any other person. You also take the copyrights to the works of art they create, and should be persecuted as much as any other file sharer, because at least you profit from their hard work.
I get laughed at in many Internet venues because I heavily disagree with sharing copyrighted work such as music, software, movies etc. Because I am also vehemently outspoken against, and refuse to participate in what has become the norm.
Not because I think it hurts the record companies, software companies, or movie studios, but because I believe it is a form of theft and WRONG to steal or share the art or creation of an artist, writer, or software programmer.
This is the reason that sharing music is wrong, not because it hurts some record exec's profits.
Correct your thinking and perspective companies, respect your clients and those of us you live off of and you will get better results.