[GW150914]

I buy my music, then I pirate a copy for archival and portable use. The artist and publishers get their money, and I get my fair use. I’m not willing to steal stuff, but I’m also not willing to jump through arbitrary hoops once I’ve paid. It isn’t strictly legal, but it is moral.

[peatmoss]

How is it piracy if you buy the music? Do you live in a country that forbids format shifting?

[LocalH]

Legally, it's "piracy" (infringement) if you acquire copyrighted material from those who aren't licensed to distribute it, even if you already own a legit copy.

Morally and practically speaking, there is no harm, and it's almost indistinguishable from a non-infringing self-made backup copy (unless there are tags indicative of being a pirated copy), but legally there is technically a difference.