Early on, I had zero compunction about piracy. It took going into business, and having a competitor insult me in a very public fashion, because I had used pirated Windows on a customer's machine - that he had previously dealt with. I was mortified.

Piracy is theft. Full stop.

When you pirate, you are stealing from someone else. Big bad corporation, or small mom-and-pop shop...

They worked to create those bits. If we're not paying, we're stealing.

The reasons why don't matter.

After getting called on it, I never did it again. If I can't afford the solution I want, I work to find something that I can afford.

As an aside - I would rather pay for a product, rather than get a free version of something and BE the product.