I apologize for implying you didn't understand the culture by asking if you have been there, I didn't mean that in any way.

In any case, alot of my family are middle class and can't find decent jobs. The competition is very high and programmers are a dime a dozen. Technically educated doesn't mean they enjoy it. Most consider it a job to get by. Some find it to be a passion. The ones who see it as a paycheck are far more likely to rip a site off and the culture is such that it doesn't seem wrong. "Someone else's problem."

I guess now it's his problem... ripping someone off and then complaining about being called on it is pretty silly in my opinion, regardless of what your motivations are for working, particularly in a competitive environment such as the one you describe.