> Microsoft actually makes something in crude terms. Software companies create value with the product they build. The IP is the product. Software companies cre

> Microsoft actually makes something in crude terms. Software companies create value with the product they build. The IP is the product. Software companies create and sell products out of the labour of software developers. Publishing companies create and sell products out of the labour of book authors. Both are tangible products. Windows is no better stream of bytes than Harry Potter. The IP is the product for "Harry Potter" also. Also, you are trying to convey as if authors have no harm in books being distributed for free. They receive royalty from book sales. Giving their books for free is like saying a FU to them. I doubt any software developer is going to work for free, so why expect the same from authors.