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Copyright violation is copyright violation in most countries, not theft. Theft is usually, if prosecuted, a criminal offence with defined tariffs. The victim might not get any compensation if the stolen item is lost or damaged.
Copyright violations are often resulting in the aggrieved party bringing a civil suit, even if criminal prosecution is possible. The violated rights owner argues a "loss" which the court decides on (a jury may set penalty, in criminal cases the judge sets penalty and is constrained). There is usually no cap. Hence the Rights Holder sues either:
Uploaders
Sharing sites
Distributors
Big companies making financial gain.
They rarely ever sue an individual downloader as the losses can hardly be argued to be more the wholesale profit for the item and the cost of the suit.
Taking a physical object is stealing (theft).
Copying content can be copyright violation, not stealing.
Accessing content in an unauthorised way can be computer misuse or trespass (laws vary and in some countries trespassers can't be prosecuted if they don't force entry and don't damage anything, but they can be sued).
Those notices on DVDs, LPs etc and industry campaigns are misleading.
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