&gt; When e-books are free to pirate, basically all of the price you&#x27;re paying for the book at a store (or a game on Steam, or a song on iTunes) is in appreciation of the value—including the convenience—of the curation service.<p>I disagree.  Pirating a book is not a replacement for owning a physical copy of a book.  Lots of people remain very attached to the physical embodiment of a novel, and are willing to pay for it like any other physical item sold in stores.  It&#x27;s like the impulse of vinyl collectors, but more mainstream.