It is, quite simply, the most trustworthy document on the least trustworthy platform, created by the most skeptical people on earth. And for that reason alone, it is a marvel of the modern age.
In the future, if DRM becomes absolute, or if network-level filtering (like the UK's "Great Firewall of Piracy") becomes global, the Megathread will be remembered as a high-water mark of digital mutual aid. It is the lighthouse at the edge of the internet’s dark forest. It does not encourage you to enter the forest, but if you choose to go, it ensures you come back with a trove of treasures—not a trojan horse. r/piracy megathrad
Reddit has historically looked the other way, likely because the Megathread serves a useful purpose: it contains the piracy discussion. Without it, r/piracy would be a chaotic flood of direct link requests, which would invite immediate legal action. By keeping the community focused on the Megathread, Reddit admins can argue they are providing "information" rather than "infringing material." It is, quite simply, the most trustworthy document