Now there are over 90 votes I will make a few comments.
Firstly, it seems that just over 60% of people will not buy an ebook whilst it is priced the same or more than the print book (excluding the used print book market). A clear and significant majority, though I must admit that I would have expected a greater one. It seems that some of these people will still purchase the ebook when the price comes down, whilst some simply pick something else and move on.
Only very few will purchase the print book rather than the ebook. If this holds true for the general public as opposed to MR members and large publishers are in fact setting prices to achieve this result, it does not seem to be working.
A very significant and sizeable minority (approaching 40%) are prepared to pay the same or more for an ebook. Many of these people regard the print book price as irrelevant. I must say that this group is much larger than I would have expected. Whilst i do not share this view, it is certainly not an unreasonable one. Ebooks have many valuable characteristics which print books lack, and vice versa. Electronic, print, audio? I regard all of them as simply different packaging for the same product. I personally value ebooks much more than print books, though this is not reflected in the price that I am prepared to pay for them.
I did note Mike's question, that is:
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So, do you think the "give me what I want at the price I want or I'm taking it for free" stance is defensible?
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MR understandably does not permit advocating piracy. It is patently not an appropriate forum for the discussion of this question and its implications. The only answer realistically open to me as the question is framed would be "no". And I could truthfully give this answer, though I will not. I do not believe the question is appropriately framed and to simply answer "no" to the question as framed would be a vast oversimplification of a complex issue. In any event, my thoughts on the matter are not particularly relevant or required in the context of this thread.