We were never this absolutist about intellectual property when individuals were the perpetrators. I don’t feel morally entitled to criticise Big AI for doing what individuals have done for centuries.

No? The United States disagrees:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_v._Swartz

https://www.thedailybeast.com/aaron-swartzs-unbending-prosec...

If an individual had done what Anthropic continues to do then they would be jailed for life.