Whenever anyone brings up this question, I bring up an arguement about it. Basically it goes something like this. Consumers complain that publishing companies are putting the prices too high, so they copy games because they can't afford them. Publishing companies complain because consumers are copying games, and they need to jack up the prices to keep companies afloat. The main problem is that neither party wishes to stop their current activies, because both claim it is necessary. Yet if both were to stop tommorow, then there wouldn't be a problem. Yet neither will.

So my basic answer is that it really doesn't matter at the end of the day. We're on a perpetuating loop of copyright/prices etc. etc. that is going to run smack into it's own arse before too long.