It’s not stealing, really. But what is it?
JB: I still think “to steal” and “theft” are the wrong words to use. Regardless of whether illegal copying is morally wrong or right, it isn’t really stealing in the traditional sense.
Calling it stealing is good for the MPAA and RIAA: simple enough for anybody to understand, and it frames the discussion in their terms. I don’t think that’s good for anybody else.
We need a non-loaded term to describe illegal copying. Maybe “illegal copying” is sufficient, or maybe we can come up with something more succinct. I don’t know. But I do know that as long as everybody calls it stealing, which it isn’t, copyright law will never be satisfactorally reformed.