Quote Originally Posted by Tetsuwan Convoy View Post
you are in a way, through Youtube.
I rarely even do that, but I take your point. Having said that, I only watch stuff online that isn't available in Australia -- so it's arguably a legal grey area. i.e. it's difficult for the copyright holder to argue that I should be purchasing a legal copy instead of watching an illegitimate copy when a legitimate copy doesn't even exist in my region. Take Transformers Animated Season 3 for example. I would LOVE to be able to own this on legitimate DVD. Love it. It urinates me away to no end that it's never been released... but if they ever did, I'd buy it in a heartbeat. With Transformers Prime, I watch the eps first on YouTube or other means... then as soon as the DVDs are available for sale, I buy them and scrub my old copies (the DVDs are so much better quality anyway, plus you get bonus features ).

In order to claim copyright infringement, one needs to demonstrate commercial loss and/or predation of copyright statute. If I were to download or view a film that was already commercially available in Australia, and especially if I were to distribute and/or sell copies of that film, then there's a pretty strong case that I'd be committing piracy. But I don't do that. I obtain titles that aren't available in Australia for personal/private viewing, and when the title becomes available I delete and purchase. Thus the copyright holder cannot argue that I have caused them any commercial loss because I'm giving them my money when they make the title available.

As Valks said, it's like "try before you buy." By purchasing the DVDs, I ultimately pay for the product that I use. My money goes toward paying the artists and other people who helped make and distribute the title. This is different from say watching something without paying for it, and even when it does still become commercially available, still not buying it. Because then you've still accessed that product, but haven't paid for doing so.