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I believe knowledge and culture should be free, and paid for only voluntarily. Yes, I firmly believe that there would be many people who would pay voluntarily.
That is my personal opinion, and certainly not the view of the law.
There are places without (well-stocked) libraries. There are places where specific books never reach, one way or another. Should money and geography determine what people read? Reading broadens the mind, surely it shouldn't depend on money?
That's for the 'stealing' part. I don't agree with the term at all. I agree that it's illegal, but I have my own morality. Most people have their own morality on many things. And there are laws that are wrong. Legal doesn't instantly mean moral, nor vice versa.
For example, for me it's extremely immoral to take the work of another and sign it with your name, and profit in either money or even just reputation from it.
For me, again, it is not immoral if you illicitly acquire knowledge or, let's call it, entertainment you can't afford or can't get to because of geographic restrictions. You wouldn't have bought it anyway, so no lost sale, but still what you read gave you access to more knowledge and more points of view, which can't be a bad thing.
But this is my very personal opinion. You may disagree, and have good reasons to do so, but that is no reason to go calling me a thief. We are talking ideas and morality here, we are not in a court of law judging a specific action.
And we are off topic.
The answer to the op is, decide for yourself. Public opinion will not back you up united, as you can see. Some people think it's justified, some don't. It's up to you.
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