We love reading but since my partner lost his sight 7 years ago, accessible books are the priority in our household. This brings its own problems as so many books he wants to read are never published in audio. Ebooks are the next best thing, provided his screen reader can access them. Ereaders are a no no for him, so the pc is his only option, which means we have to convert books to text or mp3 file formats for him to be able to read them.
For as long as publishers continue to release books with DRM, I will continue to circumvent it so that books can be converted to plain text. However, we are not prepared to pay silly money for ebooks either - a recent hunt for a book found it being sold on one UK site at £21.55 with the paperback being sold for £16.24. How can this be justified? I would rather take the tedious option of buying a cheap second hand paperback and scanning it than pay silly money. In the case of rip off prices I will search the Darknet for available alternatives that can easily be converted. For someone who is confined to home 24/7, reading is a life saver not a pastime, and we already buy upwards of 50 books a month between us as it is. I therefore don't feel any guilt at seeking alternative sources to legal outlets, nor in increasing my computer skills to find new ways to convert DRM protected books.
When publishers finally get their act together to consider accessible books which are released at the same time as mainstream editions and at the same price, then I will change my ways. Until then, needs must and I will continue to be a "pirate".
Now on my third Sony Reader!