Digital piracy is illegal in the same way pot is illegal (in America). They say, "It is very illegal." But if you get caught in possession of recreational amounts of it, it is only a misdemeanor crime. They'll put you on the books and you'll likely get a fine with it. Millions of Americans still smoke marijuana (even if they get charged).
It's illegality is not really determined by the word of law. Rather how the law is upheld in regard to how serious the "crime" actually is. In both the case of marijuana and digital piracy it is obvious that they are not as harmful or detrimental the word of law would imply.
So yes, digital piracy is technically illegal. But you aren't likely to get caught doing it and it's not likely to do much damage.
I won't argue legality or morality, I'm giving you the facts. For the record though, I think IP and copyright law is bullshit. It's obvious that it's flawed by the introduction of services like Rhapsody and streaming Netflix. Soon these types of services will begin to get more popular and I'm hoping somehow it bleeds into gaming.
Most of these PC "piracy" problems could be solved if companies put out demos that were worth a shit! The MMO makers are the smart ones, 7-14 day free demos. You can get a good feel for the game. If all games gave you a such a solid look I'd have no reason to "steal" as many games. I usually only play an hour of them before I realize it's not my kind of game. So no, I wouldn't have been potential revenue for anyone, cause if I was well informed (which I should be) I would never have bought it.
The real question is, should I have to pay for something that I don't enjoy/like? Work out your own morality with that one.
Be careful, my sensibility might be too much for you.
