I only pirate things that I've already purchased. I generally purchase used things, so the artists don't see my dollars either way in that case. Furthermore, artists only see a small fraction of the dollars of any purchase you make. It'd be nice if all media was available inexpensively and without DRM for all to consume as they pleased, and if anything over the hosting costs went straight to the authors rather than through a byzantine old publishing apparatus. But we don't live in that world, so I do what I do.