I don't think it's honest to say anything "conclusive" either way in this debate. It's complex and there are a great deal of unknowns.
With regards to downloading movies, many people don't do it because it's seen as being wrong, and also illegal, and that does matter to many people.
As for the artists going out of their way, you could make an argument that they would not receive so much attention (and thus money) in a world where everyone had to behave like what they're experimenting with. Right now they stand out from the crowd, but eventually a new equilibrium would be reached where there would be nothing novel in what they do, and perhaps at that point, they'd make significantly less money, to the point where some of them would have to find other jobs to support themselves, and thus produce less.
I don't think it's honest to say anything "conclusive" either way in this debate. It's complex and there are a great deal of unknowns.
With regards to downloading movies, many people don't do it because it's seen as being wrong, and also illegal, and that does matter to many people.
As for the artists going out of their way, you could make an argument that they would not receive so much attention (and thus money) in a world where everyone had to behave like what they're experimenting with. Right now they stand out from the crowd, but eventually a new equilibrium would be reached where there would be nothing novel in what they do, and perhaps at that point, they'd make significantly less money, to the point where some of them would have to find other jobs to support themselves, and thus produce less.