sometimes piracy is the only way for consumers to hit the big companies that care only about their pockets and overrated products. Its is well known that many big software companies cough -adobe -cough were licking their own products so in that way they will spread on a wider costumer base wich those costumers on the one hand had a free product but on the other hand they wouldnt risk using it for proffessional exploitation since if they were cought they would had their ass cut by fines. Over the years those products went in almost every home and users being accustomed to using them they would pay for them later and prefer them over other maybe cheaper software.

The customer base increased and the prices also. At this point were a product like photoshop is dominant they start using nifty locks and activation gimmicks.

Its a big complicated matter. I agree many companies lose money but on the other hand they would propably never get those money since the product
a)would not be wide spread
b)other cheaper products would prevail