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6: If everybody did illegally download, it couldn't continue as a practice, because no further music or movies could be made. (Except by those willing, through existing wealth or poetic poverty, not to make a living.) Illegal downloaders rely, parasitically, on an honest mainstream who purchase this stuff. The 'alternative revenue sources' that might fund every creator who's not already rich enough not to care simply haven't appeared for the vast majority. And it's hard to see where they'll ever come from when a dearth of illegal downloading can simply put an end to a market.
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A standard ethical theory at work. If you want to figure out if what you are doing is right, try thinking..."What if everyone did this?"
I forget where it comes from...Kant? It's what I remember from my Science/Engineering Ethics class.
I'm not a proponent of copyright infringement, but then again, copyright law in the U.S. is way out of whack these days with regards to renewals and such. Not anywhere near what the original intention was in early U.S. law.
I feel nothing for the record companies and the movie industry, who have alienated me as a customer with their actions. For music, I simply do not buy any new music any more, minus maybe 2-3 of my favorite bands. For movies, I just don't feel bad when they're doing things like going after soldiers in Iraq for buying pirated DVDs. I still buy DVD/BD but I definitely don't care if people are pirating from them any more, and I don't feel too bad if I watch something "for free" somehow.
For e-books, I won't buy DRM'd content at full MSRP. So, my sales go to used books instead. Tough for them. I said in another thread, they should try reducing the price of the ebook after a year or two, like they do with DVDs. That's part of the reason for the huge DVD market (but admittedly, also one of its problems).
If I want a 10-year old book in ebook form, it should be down to $2-$3 or something...not still full MSRP. Like a used copy would be. Imagine if you wanted a copy of, say, The Matrix on DVD, and it was still $19.99 or $24.99. That's what they're trying to do with books still...and it's part of the reason so many bookstores have gone out of business.