“If I download a program, it supposedly still belongs to the company.”
Even if you download the program it still belongs to the company. All you are buying is a license to use it.
You are exactly right.
It’s just like music and videos. You can listen to it or watch it but can’t profit from it. Although, many do.
Can you imagine how much money Microsoft would have made in the 80’s and 90’s if people hadn’t copied their O/S and other software.