Then, the storekeeper gathers all these pages, paper clips them together, and leaves them on a table, with a sign that says 'FREE'. Maybe he'll even put multiple scanned copies of all the issues in an entire series together, and stick them in a binder, also left on a table.

That's basically what downloading comics is. Not stealing originals, but copies(several-generation copies, if they come from the major file-sharing sites).

As for comics,i have been told of sites where you can read old and new comics for nothing,but i prefer to pay.

That presents a real problem, because how do you get new content if no one will pay for it? There seems to now be a real disconnect between content and production. this is not helped by terrible distribution. Regional deals, digital not always being available, even if paid for, should you change region/swap computer does not help the crowd that want to do things correctly and pay. I have digital content that I have paid good money for but can no longer use because I swapped my computer (software, Flixster downloads etc). There are times when I am working abroad that I cannot access a service that I have subscribed to because there is a separate distribution deal for that country. Really annoying

We do live in a weird world where some of the most popular 'channels' or people I have never heard of because I don't go to YouTube for my content. But I think that is where it will continue to move in the future - people finding people creating stuff that they love, getting found out and suddenly being able to gain a revenue through advertising/size of audience etc.

As an aside, but slightly related, what the heck is the deal with streaming being included in record charts? It's like saying in the old days the charts would take in to account how many times a record was played on the radio. The stagnation of the charts, songs being at the top for months and a few artists dominating with multiple songs shows, in my mind, the folley of this.

Theft, pure and simple.

So, actors make films. And creative people, such as costume designers, contribute to that. What else, though? Well, there are cinema staff. There are cleaners who clean the stores. There are drivers who deliver food and drink to those cinemas. In any profession, there's a supply chain.

I doubt cinemas will go bankrupt any time soon. However, if there was ever a time when fewer people were going to cinemas (due to downloading), what happens? Do those cinemas shed staff/cleaners, etc? All things to consider.

If i see this shit on Facebook(usually a comment in the most inappropriate post)i immediately report it,every little helps.

Some people just don't want to pay for anything.

The time and money wasted, in retrospect, was ridiculous. Besides usenet access, there was the need for storage space, overages on my internet connection, software, etc. But the world and market as has changed. Subscription services provide the same access at a lower cost. Binge habits make it easy to drop in and drop out of a subscription. When my wife and I are ready to watch West World, I would pick up HBO for a month and drop it the next. The market has really made piracy obsolete. More and more are dropping out of the practice. Sure, there are some that will never pay for anything, but they are fast becoming the dinosaur carrying a buggy whip.