> There are many commentators online trying to split hairs and say that pirating is not the same as stealing. As such, it isn’t a crime.
Just to nitpick a little here (and I apologise if I misunderstood your post) but I don't think I've EVER heard anyone argue that piracy is not a crime just because it's not stealing. Copyright infringement ("piracy") is definitely a crime, and it's definitely not stealing. Whether it's morally defensible is a whole different debate and one I don't want to enter into right now.
In short, I think Vlad is trying to explain that piracy was only a last resort for him. And it should only be a last resort.