So why do otherwise law-abiding citizens feel that they can morally justify infringing copyright? The industry likes to paint them in one of two colors: either they are morally equivalent to thieves of any other good, no better than the pickpocket or shoplifter, or they are uninformed fools who don't understand that their actions are illegal and hurt the people who produce the software, music and other good that are being shared illegally.

I believe that neither of these characterizations is particularly accurate. In fact, I believe that most of these people are quite sophisticated in their understanding of the economic and moral impact of their actions. They feel justified in infringing because they have made the judgment that the purveyors of these goods in the legitimate marketplace are taking advantage of them and not meeting their reasonable demands for fairer pricing and more convenience in distribution. And in fact, even your typical teenage mp3 hound has a pretty complete understanding of the economic forces at work. They don't do it because they misunderstand. They feel justified in doing it because they do.