--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Stealing is stealing. I don't care if…" description: "\"Stealing is stealing. I don't care if it's on the Internet or you're breaking into a warehouse somewhere - it's theft.\" — Patrick Leahy" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a21/patrick-leahy-9772_care_stealing-is-stealing-i-don-t-care-if-it_710757.png" --- # Stealing is stealing. I don't care if it's on the Internet… ![“Stealing is stealing. I don't care if it's on the Internet or you're breaking into a warehouse somewhere - it's theft.” quote by Patrick Leahy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a21/patrick-leahy-9772_care_stealing-is-stealing-i-don-t-care-if-it_710757.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a21/patrick-leahy-9772_care_stealing-is-stealing-i-don-t-care-if-it_710757.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a21/patrick-leahy-9772_care_stealing-is-stealing-i-don-t-care-if-it_710757.png) > “Stealing is stealing. I don't care if it's on the Internet or you're breaking into a warehouse somewhere - it's theft.” [Patrick Leahy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-leahy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Theft is theft, regardless of medium; illegal copying is still criminal. **In simple terms:** All forms of stealing are illegal. Key Takeaway Treat digital theft with same seriousness as physical theft. Themes law digital rights property Mood serious authoritative Type legal policy When to use this quote - online piracy enforcement - public awareness campaigns - policy drafting Key Concepts intellectual property cybercrime law Questions to Reflect On - How can laws adapt to evolving digital theft? - What balances enforcement with fair use? A Different Perspective Enforcement challenges differ across platforms. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/) [Internet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/internet/) [Theft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theft/) ## Related quotes > [“It was a little like stealing. It was exactly like stealing. It was, in fact, stealing. But there was no law against it because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/it-was-a-little-like-stealing-it-was-exactly-like-stealing-it-was-in/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“If a man looks upon any other man and estimates that man as less than himself, then he is stealing from the other. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neville-goddard/if-a-man-looks-upon-any-other-man-and-estimates-that-man-as-less-than/) [Neville Goddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neville-goddard/) > [Stealing is stealing, whether you use a computer command or a crowbar, and whether you take documents, data or dollars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carmen-ortiz/stealing-is-stealing-whether-you-use-a-computer-command-or-a-crowbar/) Carmen Ortiz > [Sonnet XXV Before I loved you, love, nothing was my own: I wavered through the streets, among Objects: Nothing mattered or had a name:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-neruda/sonnet-xxv-before-i-loved-you-love-nothing-was-my-own-i-wavered/) [Pablo Neruda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-neruda/) > [The bodies lay on the ground like damaged goods from a warehouse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-goldman/the-bodies-lay-on-the-ground-like-damaged-goods-from-a-warehouse/) Peter Goldman > [I'd rather be dead than work in a warehouse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jpegmafia/i-d-rather-be-dead-than-work-in-a-warehouse/) [JPEGMAFIA](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jpegmafia/) > [Many men are mere warehouses full of merchandise--the head, the heart, are stuffed with goods. . . . There are apartments in their souls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/many-men-are-mere-warehouses-full-of-merchandise-the-head-the-heart/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [I had a lot of different jobs between fifteen and nineteen. I'd moved out of my house way, way younger than I should have.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-reynolds/i-had-a-lot-of-different-jobs-between-fifteen-and-nineteen-i-d-moved/) [Ryan Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-reynolds/) > [Furniture! Thank God, I can sit and I can stand without the aid of a furniture warehouse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/furniture-thank-god-i-can-sit-and-i-can-stand-without-the-aid-of-a/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The capitalist distribution network, a complex chain of factory, transport, warehouse and retail outlet, is one of the greatest male accomplishments in the history…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/the-capitalist-distribution-network-a-complex-chain-of-factory/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [Auschwitz was one of the wealthiest places in the world. Everyone who was deported there had been in such a hurry that they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-lasker-wallfisch/auschwitz-was-one-of-the-wealthiest-places-in-the-world-everyone-who/) [Anita Lasker-Wallfisch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-lasker-wallfisch/) > [If I was a billionaire, I'd have a warehouse full of Ferrari and Lamborghini, but I'm not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-halford/if-i-was-a-billionaire-i-d-have-a-warehouse-full-of-ferrari-and/) [Rob Halford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-halford/) > [In a corporate context, companies have to try very hard to oppose the enticements of conventional wisdom. They must aim for the leaps, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kao/in-a-corporate-context-companies-have-to-try-very-hard-to-oppose-the/) [John Kao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kao/) > [Hollywood's like a warehouse. It's just a place that you go. What's interesting in the warehouse has to do with the creative people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-kilmer/hollywood-s-like-a-warehouse-it-s-just-a-place-that-you-go-what-s/) [Val Kilmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-kilmer/) > [“My brain hurt like a warehouse It had no room to spare I had to cram so many things to store everything in there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/my-brain-hurt-like-a-warehouse-it-had-no-room-to-spare-i-had-to-cram/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) ## More by Patrick Leahy > [Trump would either be the Scarecrow or the Joker.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-leahy/trump-would-either-be-the-scarecrow-or-the-joker/) [Patrick Leahy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-leahy/) > [Contrary to what some believe, taking all reasonable and feasible precautions to protect civilians - and mitigating the resulting anger when we harm them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-leahy/contrary-to-what-some-believe-taking-all-reasonable-and-feasible/) [Patrick Leahy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-leahy/) > [The rights of copyright holders need to be protected, but some draconian remedies that have been suggested would create more problems than they would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-leahy/the-rights-of-copyright-holders-need-to-be-protected-but-some/) [Patrick Leahy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-leahy/) > [Batman doesn't have any superpowers. He has to use his brain and his courage. That's what always appealed to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-leahy/batman-doesn-t-have-any-superpowers-he-has-to-use-his-brain-and-his/) [Patrick Leahy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-leahy/) > [We've won wars before and we've certainly retained our rights as Americans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-leahy/we-ve-won-wars-before-and-we-ve-certainly-retained-our-rights-as/) [Patrick Leahy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-leahy/) > [Benjamin Franklin once said, 'A people who would trade liberty for security deserve neither.' I think we can have both. We can keep our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-leahy/benjamin-franklin-once-said-a-people-who-would-trade-liberty-for/) [Patrick Leahy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-leahy/) > [If we harm civilians when it could reasonably have been avoided, and if we fail to fairly and promptly help the innocent victims, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-leahy/if-we-harm-civilians-when-it-could-reasonably-have-been-avoided-and/) [Patrick Leahy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-leahy/) > [Since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the number of violent extremist groups has grown across multiple continents. From Syria to Somalia to Pakistan, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-leahy/since-the-sept-11-terrorist-attacks-the-number-of-violent-extremist/) [Patrick Leahy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-leahy/) > [For the church to say that abortion is not acceptable for a Catholic is fine. To say directly or indirectly that on something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-leahy/for-the-church-to-say-that-abortion-is-not-acceptable-for-a-catholic/) [Patrick Leahy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-leahy/) > [In my view it is time to pass a good bill, a fair bill, a comprehensive bill ... Too many have been waiting too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-leahy/in-my-view-it-is-time-to-pass-a-good-bill-a-fair-bill-a-comprehensive/) [Patrick Leahy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-leahy/) > [The appointment of the next Supreme Court justice must be made in the people's interest and in the nation's interest, not in the interest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-leahy/the-appointment-of-the-next-supreme-court-justice-must-be-made-in-the/) [Patrick Leahy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-leahy/) > [There have been 111 Justices in the Supreme Court of the United States. Only three have been women. If she is confirmed, Solicitor General…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-leahy/there-have-been-111-justices-in-the-supreme-court-of-the-united/) [Patrick Leahy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-leahy/) > [That the Islamic State is guilty of horrific atrocities is common knowledge. But most Americans seem unaware of the human toll of our own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-leahy/that-the-islamic-state-is-guilty-of-horrific-atrocities-is-common/) [Patrick Leahy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-leahy/) > [Justice Sandra Day O'Connor serves as a model Supreme Court justice, widely recognized as a jurist with practical values, a sense of the consequences…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-leahy/justice-sandra-day-o-connor-serves-as-a-model-supreme-court-justice/) [Patrick Leahy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-leahy/) > [Remember the attorney general is not a member of the president's staff. He's the attorney general of the United States. He's there to represent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-leahy/remember-the-attorney-general-is-not-a-member-of-the-president-s/) [Patrick Leahy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-leahy/) [Explore all 70 Patrick Leahy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-leahy/) ## More Care quotes > [I think, here's what I've realized from interviewing people, and I've been very open about my Catholicism and my love of Christ and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-mohr/i-think-here-s-what-i-ve-realized-from-interviewing-people-and-i-ve/) [Jay Mohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-mohr/) > [We all know what it feels like to love someone and care about them and want to protect them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiana-madeira/we-all-know-what-it-feels-like-to-love-someone-and-care-about-them/) [Kiana Madeira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiana-madeira/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [I certainly do care for you Jeff Campbell less than you are always thinking and much more than you are ever knowing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/i-certainly-do-care-for-you-jeff-campbell-less-than-you-are-always/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [Advances in technology will continue to reach far into every sector of our economy. Future job and economic growth in industry, defense, transportation, agriculture,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bond/advances-in-technology-will-continue-to-reach-far-into-every-sector/) [Christopher Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bond/) > [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [I believe in taxation and health care that is outside the usual libertarian mandate, because I don't want people to have to suffer. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-peart/i-believe-in-taxation-and-health-care-that-is-outside-the-usual/) [Neil Peart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-peart/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [What makes you care about nature, about the planet? Is it really that you're afraid of what's going to happen if you don't take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-eisenstein/what-makes-you-care-about-nature-about-the-planet-is-it-really-that/) [Charles Eisenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-eisenstein/) > [You feed yourself. Make sure you have all the information, whether it's aesthetic, scientific, mathematical, I don't care what it is. Then you walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/you-feed-yourself-make-sure-you-have-all-the-information-whether-it-s/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [When you're in your twenties and starting out, the problem is that you care about being cool. Being older, I can care less about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-righton/when-you-re-in-your-twenties-and-starting-out-the-problem-is-that-you/) [James Righton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-righton/) > [When will society, like a mother, take care of all her children?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-mann/when-will-society-like-a-mother-take-care-of-all-her-children/) [Horace Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-mann/) > [I don't care if you make a print on a bath mat, just as long as it is a good print.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-weston/i-don-t-care-if-you-make-a-print-on-a-bath-mat-just-as-long-as-it-is/) [Edward Weston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-weston/) > [The world's problems are, by and large, human problems-the unavoidable consequence of egoic sleepwalking. If we care to look, all the signs are present…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adyashanti/the-world-s-problems-are-by-and-large-human-problems-the-unavoidable/) [Adyashanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adyashanti/) > [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) [Browse all 19,019 Care quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Stealing is stealing. I don't care if it's on the Internet or you're breaking into a warehouse somewhere - it's theft.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Patrick Leahy" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-leahy/stealing-is-stealing-i-don-t-care-if-it-s-on-the-internet-or-you-re/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Care" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-leahy/stealing-is-stealing-i-don-t-care-if-it-s-on-the-internet-or-you-re/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a21/patrick-leahy-9772_care_stealing-is-stealing-i-don-t-care-if-it_710757.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a21/patrick-leahy-9772_care_stealing-is-stealing-i-don-t-care-if-it_710757.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a21/patrick-leahy-9772_care_stealing-is-stealing-i-don-t-care-if-it_710757.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Stealing is stealing. I don't care if it's on the Internet or you're breaking into a warehouse somewhere…” — Patrick Leahy", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Patrick Leahy", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-leahy/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Stealing is stealing. I don't care...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-leahy/stealing-is-stealing-i-don-t-care-if-it-s-on-the-internet-or-you-re/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-leahy/stealing-is-stealing-i-don-t-care-if-it-s-on-the-internet-or-you-re/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```