P2P File Sharing

File sharing is providing access to digitally stored information using world wide web, manual sharing, removable media, or centralized servers.  P2P stands for peer to peer which is a network where one can share files without a central system.  P2P is popular in the internet world and has vastly grown over the years.  P2P makes   information readily available for anyone from anywhere in the world.  With P2P file sharing arises the question if it is ethical to share anything and are the laws made for it fair?  A classic case for P2P file sharing is music.  The case of music piracy has been a topic of discussion since years.  An article by Daniel Kreps in Amplifier  posted on November 4, 2010 discusses a case where a mother from Minnesota was fined $1.5 million dollars for downloading 24 songs from a P2P file sharing network.  The lawyer for the lady are arguing that are 24 songs really worth that much when it would only cost $24 to download these song of iTunes.  As per the article it doesn't matter to the record labels how much she is fined but she is a cautionary example for others. P2P file sharing is not only limited to song sharing but also files, online books, legal documents, confidential information, shows, movies and much more.  It is illegal to share these information but the question is if it is unethical?  The issue of ethics is equally important in IT  as much as it is in the business world.  You can't one rule or law for all P2P file sharing and the answer to the ethical aspect isn't the same either.