Filesharing: the debate!

First, I want to get everybody on the same page, so I will include all the correspondence that led to an exchange of ideas.

To begin with, I read this and posted this:

Posted by Jeffery Coleman (24.79.84.77) on December 09, 2005 at 09:41:41:

I found this article looking back on the site, and was quite surprised at it's one-sided take on filesharing. The author seems unaware that many ethicists have come down on the other side of the ethical debate here as well. I happen to be one of them. I've outlined the reasons why here:

http://fugitivethoughts.blogspot.com/2005/12/filesharing-ethics-revisited.html

and more extensively here:

http://fugitivethoughts.blogspot.com/2005/09/ethics-of-filesharing.html

It seems this is a very split issue; that is, I have met people who come down very heavily on each side, but not many who are willing to consider a move to 'the other side' for any reason. Furthermore, there doesn't seem to have been a lot of public debate on this topic at all. So, if any of you share the views of the author here, and are willing to contribute to the debate, I'd love to have you comment on the ideas I've posted.

sincerely,
Jeffery Coleman

Then, I received this reply:

Posted by Jack Marshall (202.131.253.182) on December 10, 2005 at 02:11:20:

In Reply to: "Canada's File-Sharing Surrender" posted by Jeffery Coleman on December 09, 2005 at 09:41:41:

Jeffrey: Thanks for the post and the refernces. For some reason the internet can't find blogspot out here (I'm in Mongolia on a legal ethics assignment) so I can't read your pieces. I will when I get back (soon) and comment here. And I hope someone else does as well. For some reason, readers only seem to debate with, me and not with each other. If we can change that convention, I'll be very happy.
I admit to being eager to read a coherent defense of file-sharing that is based on ethical rather than non-ethical (it's inevitable; it can't be stopped; everyone's going to do it anyway; those music guys make too much money; music should belong to everyone)considerations.

Which I was very happy to read, since as many of you know I am also frustrated with the 'inevitability,' 'they make too much money,' etc. non-ethical 'arguments' for filesharing.

and then, later, this:

Posted by Jack Marshall (208.226.48.103) on December 12, 2005 at 23:47:29:

In Reply to: "Canada's File-Sharing Surrender" posted by Jeffery Coleman on December 09, 2005 at 09:41:41:

Jeff: I read your longer article, and you should look for the long article I have written in response to appear on the home page very soon. It does not use your name.

Which of course, really intrigued me with the 'it does not use your name' clause. Then, I was off to spend christmas with family. As that time comes to a close and I have now had a chance to read that article, I will post it and my response to it in my next post.