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'm not most people (though admittedly I worked in electronic publishing before retiring), I'm a potential consumer. I understand your point of view, but I don't agree with it.
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Well, we can agree to disagree. No worries.
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And I think those priorities should include keeping customers and converting prospects. What I am arguing for is putting more emphasis on the latter, and less on combating piracy. I believe that some publishers' actions are encouraging some otherwise law-abiding citizens to break laws. Paraphrasing your earlier comment about reality and beliefs, look if laws don't work, its time to adjust the laws - if business practices don't work, then it's time to change the business model. Two examples spring to mind, Amazon and library lending, plus an e-mail I've just received from Borders drawing my attention to e-books under $3 , plus free e-book previews ... QED.
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I have to admit that I'm a bit perplexed by this. I get the impression from you that publishers are 100 per cent focused on piracy and do little marketing. I think its precisely the reverse. Every single day, I get emails from Amazon, B&N, Borders, and Kobo touting some promotion or sale (Maybe you need to sign up for the newsletters?)
THere is an entire forum here dedicated to keeping track of various freebies and ebook promos offered by publishers and booksellers. Google " author's book tours"-who do you think pays for those-pirate sites?
The plain fact is that pirate sites don't pay for anything and don't help the authors and publishers. They are to the publishing industry as leeches and tapeworms are to a healthy human being. Just as we would not ignore leeches and tapeworms if we had them, so too the publishers cannot ignore pirates, as to you seem to advocate . On the contrary, the publishers have the right, duty, and contractual obligation to preserve, protect and defend the IP rights of the authors they represent. That means taking action against pirates, in addition to marketing.