Answer Truthfully Now...

[orb85750]

And for those who pirate software that is still available "through legal channels" .....Do you have any reservations about shoplifting (other than getting caught)?

[orb85750]

No I don't. No I wouldn't. And seriously I believe it is utterly wrong. This extends to downloading music, videos or any other form of entertainment. It's not just piracy but theft.

Yes, scuzz has it right.  Piracy certainly is stealing, hence my allusion to shoplifting earlier.  If you walk into Best Buy and steal a box of software off the shelf, Best Buy suffers.  If you instead steal software via the internet, the software company suffers.  Is there really a fundamental difference?

(EDIT: I am speaking here about software that is still available through legal means, but you choose to steal rather than buy.)

[orb85750]

At bookstores and newsstands, do you read passages from books, newspapers, or magazines before paying for them? Do you take photographs at modern art museums? Copyright infringement and unlicensed use are not the same as shoplifting, which involves personal property.

Wrong.  We're talking here about illegally obtaining software for free instead of paying for it.  Your first example is akin to trying out software in a store if that store makes such a kiosk available, correct?  Now if you copy the entire book and walk out of the store with that copy, your example becomes more relevant.

[orb85750]

"If you want a "free" game, your best bet is to shoplift. Worst case, you'll pay a small fine and have a misdemeanor on your record. If you copy the game, however, you could end up paying $150,000 per copy, spend a few years in jail, get gang raped, and lose your right to vote."

Really?  Is there any case where someone copied a single time and had to pay any legal penalty?  On the other hand, shoplifting a single time can result in legal action.  I think a better comparison would be: the individual copying thousands of items compared with the individual that shoplifted thousands of times.  In both cases, the penalties could be quite steep.