Oh it's stealing. Someone wants to get paid for the work, and they're entitled to get paid.

I think people who know it's stealing, but are willing to download books anyway because of their personal risk/reward calculation (or perhaps they dislike the author and don't mind stealing from him!), have an intact moral compass: They know right from wrong.

I wonder about people who try to rationalize the crime of book-stealing away. Do they know right from wrong?

I won't judge people who decide to steal books, but I don't like those who try to argue it's not theft.