Digital piracy hurting comics industry Source: UPI LOS ANGELES (UPI) -- Declining sales and digital online piracy of comic books are threatening small U.S. publishers, the Los Angeles Times reported Monday. Although not as pervasive as music sharing, an informal Web poll of 4,621 readers from December 2004 to December 2005 by Comic Book Resources, an online magazine, found more than 30 percent had downloaded a comic book at least once, and 12 percent said they downloaded comic books regularly. Robert Burnett, whose Los Angeles production company, Ludovico Technique, launched the "Living in Infamy" series last year about a witness-protection program for super-villains. Burnett said he publishes about 2,000 to 5,000 copies per issue, and so far isn't aware of any of his titles being shared online. "Comic-book piracy for us would be a problem," Burnett said. "Our retail price is $3. Every book that we sell matters."