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Do either of you ever exceed the posted speed limit? Most people do not see copying as any worse than speeding.

If someone breaks the speed limit, and they don't get into (or cause) an accident... then nobody gets hurt.

With a copyright violation, such as downloading copyrighted music from the internet rather than buying the CD at a store... the copyright violator is harmed financially. I don't think anyone would argue against the idea that, of the millions of people violating copyright on the internet, a certain percentage would buy the music at the store if they could not bootleg.

I don't compare it to 'speeding'... 'Shoplifting' is a better comparison. And no, I have never shoplifted. :-)

What I was trying to get across, unsuccessfully, is that the majority don't see this as being much of a crime. Similar to cheating on taxes, speeding, parking fines, illegal cable, stuff like that. Of course people would buy if downloading wasn't possible, that's what they did prior to the internet, but I think a lot of people would prefer to have something free, if possible, regardless of the legality, as evident by the massive downloads we see.