If we didn't steal, there would be no progression in art. There would be no mixing of the 'artistic blood'. There would be no inspiring anger filled rages that push artists to move forward with their own work because their last piece got stolen.
Now mind you, when I was making films in Bollywood, my scripts got stolen and remade by moronic actors and producers. Did that make me angry? Yes. Did I feel like dropping an overweight, diseased cow on their rooftops? Yes. But, at the end of the day, when I watched their productions- they were crap. And I said to myself, if this is how they interpreted my work- then its no longer mine. My work was awesome. Their production was not. Therefore, it did not represent my work. My work, whether legally mine or not, will remain mine forever. It is my mind's child. And it marked my progress as an artist.
Sure, if I consider the monetary value lost to my scripts being stolen, I'd still be pissed. But now, I consider the experience as the reason behind my moving on with life and being much more creative than I could have ever imagined. The fact that my stuff got stolen shows that apparently there was something in there that caught a lot of attention. If I could just learn to keep going with that and create more of an identity that would make even my stolen stuff speak my name, then I'd be content.
Stealing is inspiring for those who lose. Its a Buddhist exercise in ways. Not bad at all...
navraaz 