If a consumer decides not to spend money on copyrighted material it seems to me they are likely choosing to spend that money elsewhere so it's unlikely piracy causes any real harm to most economies. It may hurt a specific segment but that's just the evolution of supply & demand at work.
I think the best argument against piracy being a major crisis in entertainment is the quality of the products we've seen in the last few years since piracy has really hit the mainstream. Lots of great movies, lots of good TV (so I hear) and when it comes to music I would argue that for most people who previously had a very limited spectrum of musical choices we're now in a renaissance. I don't see any of my favorite bands going out of business, quitting, or putting out subpar products. If anything we're seeing less mainstream acts flourish since, for the first time, they can actually compete with the mainstream.
I think the best argument against piracy being a major crisis in entertainment is the quality of the products we've seen in the last few years since piracy has really hit the mainstream. Lots of great movies, lots of good TV (so I hear) and when it comes to music I would argue that for most people who previously had a very limited spectrum of musical choices we're now in a renaissance. I don't see any of my favorite bands going out of business, quitting, or putting out subpar products. If anything we're seeing less mainstream acts flourish since, for the first time, they can actually compete with the mainstream.