Piracy isn't stealing anyway. It's just copyright infringement.
DRM and other consumer hostile practices are just more reasons to add to the growing pile of reasons why copyright infringement might not be unethical no matter what the legality is.
Is piracy uploading or downloading?
yes.
Neither. Piracy is an act of robbery on the high seas.
Exactly. It's like if I take a rental car for a joyride. That shouldn't be illegal.
Isn't it a replica of the rental car in the analogy?
robertlagrant wouldn't download a car!
Exactly! If I could, then car improvements would cease to exist.
Your analogy undermines the point you seem to be making, given that renting is, by definition, not purchasing.
More so you look at a rental car from afar, and using your own mediums make your own exact copy, which you then use for a ride.
Except, you incur quite an expense making your own exact copy whereas copying some bits costs you such a low number that it approaches $0
In the UK there's a law covering this specific case.
Theft is deigned "taking with the intent to permanently deprive", so joyriders were defending their actions by returning the vehicle after just this.