> Creators do have legal rights, but that's a whole other set of issues.
This is the main issue at hand that I've been talking about, while you're treating it as a "whole other set of issues".
When Alice spends her time and energy to produce X AND sell it, and Bob finds a way to get it for free against Alice's will, that is called stealing, no matter how you spin it. This is THE problematic part and what I am talking about. Everything else is a non issue and irrelevant when discussing this issue, like you mentioned.
There's a difference between discussing what the law is and what the law ought to be.
And if you want to get technical, you're describing copyright infringement, not theft per se.
Anything else I'd probably type in response would mostly be reiterating my earlier points distinguishing between intellectual "property" and physical property, which haven't really been addressed. That is, "stealing" is the wrong word for it and people instinctively know it and make fun of it via "you wouldn't download a car" jokes.
This is the main issue at hand that I've been talking about, while you're treating it as a "whole other set of issues".
When Alice spends her time and energy to produce X AND sell it, and Bob finds a way to get it for free against Alice's will, that is called stealing, no matter how you spin it. This is THE problematic part and what I am talking about. Everything else is a non issue and irrelevant when discussing this issue, like you mentioned.