As this originated from a Russian forum, I thought I should provide my 2 cents as someone with inside perspective. In Russia and many CIS countries, piracy is not only common, it is sometimes the only means to access software at a reasonable price, or even at all. In every household of my extended family whom I've visited (I do not reside in Russia/CIS but most of my extended family is there) and did not set up their computer myself, you will find a pirated copy of Windows. This isn't because most of these people are breaking the law at will, but rather that it's very difficult to find retail copies of Windows in a lot of stores (especially in more rural regions), and due to median incomes being significantly lower than those in the west, many simply can't allow themselves to spend over $100 on a retail copy of Windows. This applies for macs as well, since there is often no way any local provincial store could carry specialized software, and with exchange rates and sanctions being prevalent nowadays, it is most likely even more inaccessible than it would be to a western consumer. In terms of hardware, most people will run machines for significantly longer than what is considered "normal" in the west, by using outdated operating systems (as in running a 7-8 year old machine in daily use) or hackintoshing if they can't afford a mac at all. Piracy allows these people to use important software that they might not be able to access at all. Also, I don't think that it matters whether it's a PC or Mac in whether one is more "wrong" compared to the other. Considering that buying any computer is expensive for most people, they feel that saving money on software will allow them to focus more on hardware which they will be able to use for longer. I feel the issue of software piracy is very polarizing, especially for those who have reliable access and he means to purchase software. I feel that many of us in the west take this for granted, whereas there are many living in places that simply don't have that opportunity. I do not condone piracy, however we need to consider all perspectives before immediately pass judgement.