Stealing is gross misconduct – good way to get the sack.

No, he removed total access to the laptop. That’s why taking it is considered to be far more serious than making a copy.

When you make a copy of a book, mp3 or movie, you do not at the same time go into the files of the company that owns it and delete all the copies. They still have the file. You have not prevented them from accessing, using or selling it. It’s still, in all measurable ways – theirs.

Copyright is not related to theft of an object, it’s related to interference of trade. There is a big difference between stealing money and causing someone else to make less of it.

Every time I run an ad, I cause my competitors to make less money (hopefully). That’s not the same as breaking into their stores and taking away their stuff so they can’t sell it.

Ian