Is downloading books and games from the internet considered a legitimate theft for which the ḥadd penalty is applied to its perpetrator, given that some permit it, that they are available to everyone, and that you previously issued a fatwā deeming it theft?

It is forbidden to infringe upon the intellectual property rights of authors of books and software who have not granted permission for their copying or downloading, as this causes harm to them. The Islamic Fiqh Academy has affirmed that these rights are legally recognized (Shar'an) and must not be violated. This infringement necessitates compensation for the loss of benefits incurred by the rights holder and the damages sustained, to be assessed by experts, contrary to those who permit copying for personal use.