[quote name='Mr Unoriginal']Well then we should be able to sue gun manufacturers or ciggarette companies? Just because we don't like something doesn't mean we should be able to avoid the law to shut them down.[/QUOTE]
Well yes, and we do, but not just for producing their products but for lying about the products effects.
Though, in this case, I think it's different. Almost any form of file sharing that is and can be done on things such as bearshare and kazaa are illegal. It's like gun manufacturers knowingly making a product where almost 100% of it's use knowingly went to illegal activities, they would like have legal issues to deal with.
Personally, I really have no opinion on whether this should be legal or not. On the one hand the industry does have a point, it's copyrighted material being traded without permission, but I really can't make a convincing argument for the other side. Sure, it's made it so I found out about tons of band I never would have heard of, and allowed me to try cd's before I buy them (if I like your music I buy it, unless it's just one song and then I wouldn't have bought it anyway). Even if you pulled out all the artists who didn't want ot be a part, you'd do major damage to the whole process and result in less artists (small, large whatever) participating. But those aren't legal reasons just personal ones of why I enjoy it.