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I won't argue that downloading ebooks from the dark net is not stealing. I do feel for the authors and the publishers that lose money because of that. But I doubt that the percentage of dark-net readers influence the sales figures of any author to the extent that that writer is or is not signed for new contracts because of piracy.
Having said that, there is a cultural component to this whole darknet piracy. People who would not steal a candy have no qualms when it comes to mp3s. There is little tangibility to a file, it just doesn't feel like stealing.
Culturally speaking, being from an Eastern country where less that 5% of home users have even a legal OS - getting ebooks off the net is really not such a big deal. Everybody does it, nobody cares. Companies like Microsoft, Adobe are bleeding money if one compares software sales to actual users. I got laughed at for buying Vista last year, because I wanted to be legit. But the same people don't steal cars or food or clothes. It's just how they grew up.
So I can see and understand your outrage, but I doubt that you can understand my lack of shame.
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