I have written many programs. They were written for others to enjoy and use. It's much like an author's process of creating a story or poem. They simply give it life. They wrote it to speak their mind, make others happy, or just because they saw a need to it to be said.
Programming is very similiar.
The programs were created as a source of recreation, a way to escape, and a way to help us. It is common knowledge that it is illegal and ethically wrong to steal someone else's writing and claim it as your own. Yet when it applies to programs, it seems to get hazy. It mentions that using copied software is a good way to potential users to use the software and then go out and buy it. All the major software companies offer trial versions of their software on their websites for free.