They are not stupid. This isn't a mistake. It's Dark Arts. They're trying (quite successfully) to attach the word "theft" to copyright infringement, so that people discuss it in terms of moral intuitions about stealing. 'cause if it is called "stealing" then it must be evil, right?

And they've been doing so for a long time. "You wouldn't steal a car" etc. were all about equating piracy with stealing from a shop or whatever.

Exactly. Funny though, now the obvious answer to "you wouldn't download a car" is "of course I would, just give me a big enough 3D printer!".

But they are petitioning for legal theft of control over your computer. I think they know what they are saying.