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You all just don't get it. Even if the cost is lower, incalcuable or intangible, it is still stealing. For every e-book downloaded illegally, that is one e-book the author and publishers haven't been paid for. And saying the publishers are a bunch of greedy bastards (something I'll pretty much agree with) doesn't exonerate stealing from them.
Just because something is just a file doesn't mean it doesn't have value. It doesn't matter if it is printed on a bunch of bound paper or is a few well directed electrons recording a string of 1s and 0s, the actual product is the content and it is the content is what has value. Being easy to replicate doesn't make something valueless.
Copyright infringement is stealing. Infringement means accessing something you do not have the right or permission to access. Trying to parallel that to jaywalking and murder is ludicrous unless you were going for comparing the severity of the offense. Again, because you don't see the value of something doesn't exonerate you. It still doesn't matter if something if something you take actually doesn't have value (not likely or you wouldn't want it), if you you take something that doesn't belong to you, you are a thief. And just because you are getting away with it doesn't make it right.
Even if a bus is half empty, if you ride without paying, you stole that ride. It's not fair to the other passengers who did pay (and frankly, if I see you trying to steal a ride on a bus I WILL rat you out!). If all passengers rode without paying, there would be no more busses since someone has to pay for running the bus. The pirates can't create their illicit e-books unless someone writes the book and someone else makes it available (i.e. publishers). They can't do what they do unless they can make a profit. If they do not collect enough to make that profit because people are stealing part of that product (and the product is the intellectual content, not the actual book or file that is used to deliver the content), they will have to raise their prices. People who have the decency, integrity, and backbone to be honest now have to bear the burden of those who selfishly don't give the north end of a south bound furry rodent about no one other than themselves.
Even if no one is hurt by your stealing (and someone always is, whether you have the brains to realize it or not), it is still wrong. It has been a standard of society since Oog the caveman swiped something from his buddy Ugh, Ugh didn't like it and express it with a club on OOg's noggin. When people lose that standard, then society breaks down. If you think that is ridiculous, crack open your (legally owned) history books.
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