>The argument that people pirate because the paid options are shit, and if they were as convenient as torrents people would just pay for them, is rendered moot

>The argument that people pirate because the paid options are shit, and if they were as convenient as torrents people would just pay for them, is rendered moot with the Steam counterexample. Steam is usually used as the example of how better distribution results in less pirating...but not all games are available through Steam or "as easily" obtained as through Steam. Netflix is also a good example. Most people I knew who used PTP were: 1) In regions Netflix doesn't support or doesn't "properly" support (see: UK above) 2) Watching movies that weren't even available through Netflix. With the death of "game demos" I pirate most of my games. I also purchase most of those games. If game demos were such a thing - the games I did not purchase were games I'd never have bought. Which is very consistent with the "typical pirate argument of trying to make themselves feel righteous". There are (of course) people who will download for free because they can but the pirates who actually talk about pirating seem to always have other, "reasonable" motives. Bypassing DRM limitations, removing ads, to demo something/see if it is worth paying for, or because pirating is the only way to even obtain the material. They don't even have the option of paying for it if they wanted to. How could pirating hurt sales if the person pirating can't even purchase the damn thing?