I've been considering running a poll for a while now. The idea would be to let everyone state their positions, see where everyone else's positions are, add a bit of elaboration if they feel they really must, and (possibly) move on.
Here are the options I'm considering including, in a "check all that apply" format. Anyone want to suggest one that I've missed?
(This poll would not be for "scientific" purposes-- it would hopefully have the psychological purpose of allowing people to get opinions off their chests.)
Downloading a "darknet" copy of a book still in Copyright:
- Is taking food off author's plates
- Is theft
- Is cheap advertising
- Will discourage authors from writing new books
- Will result in new buyers as readers discover new authors
- Is harmless
- Is never morally acceptable
- Is always morally acceptable
- Is morally acceptable if the book is out of print
- Is morally acceptable if the commercial ebook is unavailable in your region
- Is morally acceptable if you can't afford to buy the book anyway
- Is morally acceptable if you own the book in another format (e.g. paper)
- Is morally acceptable if the author is dead, regardless of copyright term
- Is morally acceptable if there is no commercial ebook version available
- Is morally acceptable if the only commercial ebook version has DRM
- Is morally acceptable if the only commercial ebook version has DRM that won't work on your hardware
- Is morally acceptable if the only commercial ebook version has a higher price than the paper version
- Is morally acceptable if the book is more than 25 years old
- Is morally acceptable if the book is more than 50 years old
- Is going to be widespread whether it is morally acceptable or not
- Should be a civil offense
- Should be a criminal offense
- Should not be illegal at all
- Is legal where you live (or at least, not illegal)