Because this heads towards the concept of thought crime. Who cares what the motive of a pirate is? Do we only want pure virgins who can lie in a unicorn's lap d

Because this heads towards the concept of thought crime. Who cares what the motive of a pirate is? Do we only want pure virgins who can lie in a unicorn's lap downloading stuff? Or can we get beyond criticising people for not being pure of heart. The only issue with piracy isn't the motive of the pirate - it's whether it damages the industry, and studies regularly show it doesn't. In fact a) the biggest pirates tend to spend more, and b) isn't it about time we found ways of rewarding creators that didn't involve artificial scarcity? We're heading for a time when we can deliver all of human culture to everyone and the only thing stopping us is that some people want to rent-seek. On your other point, I wouldn't advise anyone to pay for the Pirate Bay because payment identifies the payee. There's a significant chance it would be considered illegal and records seized by the US, leading to huge fines, extradition and prison. That alone would deter me.