Do artists deserve compensation for their work?

Of course they do. File sharing is theft. Firstly, tangible books will not be extinct, anytime soon, secondly, kindle probably isn't going to take off at all. People will use their smart phones, Ipads, laptops for that sort of thing, the kindle is just sort of a waste. But yes, file sharing someones song is the EXACT same as going into someones store and stealing their product. Saying it isn't it just a rationalization of some idiot who wants to get stuff for free. Well, people that do that are thieves pure and simple, and should be slapped in the face.