What is the ruling on decrypting paid software and using it for free, or working on movies online? Is the perpetrator considered a thief in Islamic Sharia, and what are the implications for redressing past grievances?

Copyrights and invention rights are protected by Islamic law, and it is not permissible to infringe upon them. This has been affirmed by the Islamic Fiqh Academy and other scholarly bodies. Accordingly, tampering with software by decrypting its protection is considered a forbidden transgression from which one must repent. Some scholars have permitted personal use only to the extent needed, provided that it is not a means of earning money. It is important to distinguish between the general description of "theft," which includes any transgression against another's property, and the specific type of theft that necessitates the imposition of a legal punishment, which has particular conditions.