Perestroika by Piracy?

The New York Times reports on Chinese groups distributing subtitled versions of Western shows in China, by piracy: Chinese Tech Buffs Slake Thirst for U.S. TV Shows: "What is most remarkable about the effort, which involves dozens of people working in teams all over China, is that it is entirely voluntary. Mr. Ding’s group, which goes by the name Fengruan, is locked in fierce competition with a handful of similar outfits that share the same ambition: making American popular culture available in near-real time free to Chinese audiences, dodging Chinese censors and American copyright lawyers."

Can widespread piracy of copyrighted western works in China be a force for democracy?