Only consequences, physically speaking the two are not the same at all.
Copying of anything digital is not actual theft, nor will it ever be.
Copying of anything digital is not actual theft, nor will it ever be.
Wait, I absolutely would download a car if I could... or food... or clothing... I'd download the shit out of physical goods if the technology existed. Who wouldn't? You could solve scarcity. If we had Star Trek Replicators, we'd be living in a literal utopia.
Sure, but it's only true if you stretch the definition of what's occuring. If we stretched it in the other way, in that "stealing" a car in fact left the perfectly fine original right where you found it, the vast majority wouldnt think twice.
wordsmithing on theft is the only defense thieves have
Theft is moving stuff. You can't move software or digital assets, you can only copy them.
If I committed a burglary and instead of taking your TV I go to Walmart and buy a copy, then that's not burglary. You certainly wouldn't report me to the police.
I'm not concerned about my files being leaked because that's stealing. I'm concerned because they hold sensitive information that can be used for actual stealing, like for example with money.
Malware isn't bad because it's stealing. That's stupid. I know you know it's stupid, so I don't know why you said it.