> Piracy isn't exactly a zero-sum game, but there is a cost associated with it.

There is zero cost associated with piracy. Zero.

At best, there's an expectation of profit that's not met. To argue that, you need to show how copying a file translates to a potential sale being converted to a no-sale, and there are plenty of evidence that unauthorized distribution of copyrighted work drives demand up.

> Pretending piracy doesn't hurt revenue is a shaky ground to stand on

Go ahead and show exactly where copying a file hurts anyone. You're trying to pass off your personal assertions as axioms, but it's on you to prove that copying a file without the consent of someone hurts anyone.

Go ahead.

> now whatever it hurts the artists revenue is a different question

If anything, artists are the least impacted counterpart as they literally get paid a small fraction of the whole income.

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