So, when you copy somebody else's work (e.g. a song) for personal enjoyment, it's an outrageous crime; but when you copy a student's essay for profit, it's fair use. You're right, it's not at all surprising.
But I'll bet I could find a gaggle of lawyers willing to take you up on that.
If you think otherwise, lay out explicitly how you think the two cases are similar.
[1]Err, unless you are Lady Gaga.
Besides, there's obviously a difference between receiving a random essay from a person who claims to own the rights (that's obviously in their TOS), and asking to download an MP3 of some band. In the latter case, the downloader obviously knows the copy is illegal and it can be argued that (s)he's abetting the infringer.