The cost of production of some video games is over $100 million. That is why I have referred to the marginal cost of production. i.e. if you create one more unit, it costs nothing. And for that reason, it seems more doable for someone who wouldn't dream of stealing from a local shop.
Then again, you could extend this argument in many ways. What about if you do something that takes up someone elses time, where their time is money? Have you unethically stolen billable hours from that person? An example could be asking them for directions. Thief! Tiny snatches of criminality costing others money. Disgraceful! It may not be illegal, but could it be considered ethically worse since you have cost them money, verses appropriated software with no extra marginal cost to the creator?
So you mean that even though one single download is essentially meaningless, all of the downloads taken together do count, and thus, every single one (which is required to get many) counts? That makes sense. Now can we apply that to voting?
@NauticalGent
Some people just enjoy the mischevious adventure involved in "getting things for free". From the person who drives 5 miles to a different grocery store to use a coupon for a free bottle of water to the person actually downloading licensed stuff off of torrents.
However, I think for most normal people the "cost" calculation factors into it. For example, I can honestly say that I don't do anything like that. But is it attributable to my good morals and character? Probably not very much. I can get an entire desktop version of Office 2007 for $25, so why in the world would I go to the trouble and risk of stealing it? Would my spotless record still exist if the only thing that worked for anything was office 365 and I always needed to pay full price? I'm not sure, I've "never been tested".
Here's another interesting question, a twist on NG's original question.
How many people (granted, most people wouldn't admit it anyway, so I guess this is for our rhetorical pleasure!) - how many people are always honest when it comes to the attestation that you are using something for "test" or "personal" or "charitable" or "community" reasons???
All I can tell you is what I've seen. If I had a dollar for every team of developers who otherwise seem to be very "good people"--But, they all use Teamviewer's "Free" edition, I think I'd be rich..........
In fact, in my entire life, I've never even met someone who pays for it! If that tells the self righteous ones anything... lol