Copyright infringement is only "stealing" because the word has been redefined by the industry to include illegal digital distribution even when nobody is deprived of the "stolen" property.
Pure rationalization.
You'd likely feel differently if YOU were a small creative-content author and provider trying to sell your copyrighted content.
I know of several such who have entirely abandoned their artistic and musical pursuits because they can't support themselves with it. Not for a lack of interest...they regularly find their works all over the web. No, it's because they can't even sell more than a few actual "real" CDs of content before finding that someone's ripped it and spewed it all over the web for "free"...and then they don't sell any more.
In my case, I do graphics design for industry. It can take me literally days to do a complete ad layout or video. That's REAL work, real hours spent creating a product. And if someone rips it off and uses it without compensating me, that IS stealing.
Doesn't hurt anyone? Right.
Every time you pirate something, you're hurting your own choices, because small, more-creative content providers just completely give up when their every effort is stolen, and they can't make a dime doing it.
And as for large companies, the more people rip THEM off, the more they're encouraged to institute annoying, draconian lockdowns that prevent conveniences like being able to view content on multiple devices. First comes the closed door, and then when people ignore that, a lock. When they break that, a deadbolt. And then, eventually, a steel vault door and full-body patdown before you can walk through.
The few who don't want to pay for content damage things for those who legally do.
Sort of like welfare queens, but with music and video. Think about it.
And you ARE stealing. Someone created something and asked a price for it, you took it without paying that price, you are stealing.
