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Message: <blockquote data-quote="N0Man" data-source="post: 4915007" data-attributes="member: 64066">It's already been discussed here previously, but there was a lot of derailment so I will say it again.  There are many scenarios possibly involved with people who have downloaded pirated copies, and not all of them involve lost sales (though some certainly do).I can't claim to think of them all, but here are some examples from each:Scenarios that usually cause lost sales:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Someone downloading it simply because they can, who intend to use the document instead of buying the book.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Someone who didn't seek out the pirated copy, but were given it by someone, and aren't going to bother buy a book now that they have it digital.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Downloading a book that they plan on buying for evaluation and then finding out through their evaluation that the product is not worth buying.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Someone downloading it because they can't afford it, but would have bought it otherwise.  However, now that they've found it digitally, they decide to spend their money on something else (such as another book, gas, college text books, and ramen noodles).</li> </ul>Scenarios that do not or usually do not cause lost sales:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Someone pirating a book or material that is out of print and unobtainable through reasonable and legal channels.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Someone who downloads a copy to evaluate before buying, who buys the book shortly after (effectively saving them a trip to the book store to thumb through it).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Someone who downloads a copy of a book they've already purchased.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Someone who downloads a copy of a book that is not in stock currently so they can go ahead and start using it, until it's back in stock and they buy it.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Someone who downloads a copy just because they can, but would never have bothered to buy the game if they couldn't get it for "free".</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Someone who downloads a copy, and wants to buy a copy, but can't afford to (but will do so when they are able to afford it).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Someone who downloads it because they are an anti-fan, and to download out of spite against the company, and so they can pick out things to criticize about the game, but despise the game and would never actually buy it.</li> </ul>I feel confidant that each of these things occur in some cases (and I've seen every one of these happen before).  There's no way for me to know how many of each of these happens, but neither can you.</blockquote>

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