Same argument, more context. If I go to the store, pay with my AmEx to buy a DVD, then bring it home and pirate the show because I don't want to go through the

Same argument, more context. If I go to the store, pay with my AmEx to buy a DVD, then bring it home and pirate the show because I don't want to go through the process of ripping it to watch on my computer sans TV, it's the same thing since I've already "paid" for the free trial. My justification is absurd and arbitrary because it's highly unlikely that this is all I will pirate, but no more absurd or arbitrary so suggest that it's equally immoral to shoplift if they don't take a credit card. It's at least marginally more moral because of the whole infinite copy thing. In both cases (shoplifting and downloading), the content creator suffers the same "loss" associated with creating something and losing a potential sale, but in the shoplifting case, they had to put materials into the DVD, shipping and stocking. I'm saving them money on bandwidth (torrent) and still "paying" with their free trial.