Whatever your thoughts on the position of the ISPs may be with regard to anti-piracy, this should not be read as advocating that activity. Simply put, it is nearly pathetic for the record industry to expect another industry to sacrifice its business practices because music is being illegally traded and shared. As others have pointed out, some responsibility should be taken by ISPs about regulating users who do break copyright law but "ratting" out users to the music industry is not the proper action either.

It is the duty of the record industry to figure out ways to make consumers want to pay for music. Obviously that is the real crux of these issues, the fact that consumers don't find value in the music. At least that is the idealistic hope on the part of this writer as to why consumers would illegally trade and share the products. It is obvious that no matter how much freedom the record industry gives digital stores to sell tracks without anti-piracy technology, the tactic is just not working. It's been a bad year for anti-piracy technology, but that just means a good year for digital stores. While it is hard to see any return from how far things have gone, there is a solution out there and illegal file sharing is not the answer.

In the end, the solution is also not going to be found by looking to blame other industry's or even the consumer for not regulating illegal file sharing. ISPs are not responsible for the record industry's problems. If anything, that industry has providing new markets and avenues of advertising for music, so to be bitten at might not be taken too lightly by ISPs. Consumers should not be illegally sharing, but they shouldn't distrust their Internet service providers either.