Same thing is going on with "piracy", in Germany they actually coined the term "Raubkopie" (robbed copy) which implies that a copy is taken by violent force.
It’s theft. Handbags to manufacturing techniques. Source code to schematics. Science to business models. It’s all meant to prop up local business. Pin duo duo just had their IPO. Now there’s so many fakes and copies that no one knows what’s real on their anymore.
Didi vs Uber is a great example. Didi copied the idea, took government subsidies. But then the government stole the competition completely by shutting down Uber and forcing a merger with Didi.
If you redefine it like that, then competition itself is theft. After all, if I start competing with you, I deprive you of revenue/profits by forcing you to decrease your margins...
You are depriving the victim of earnings associated with the IP, market position, sales opportunites, all the while sticking them with r&d expenses, which happens even if you are making a copy for personal use.