Ah now programming is very different, clarity here is paramount. Programming falls under the 'music that does my dishes, or solves world hunger' umbrella.
Example; A video game produces nothing per se, but it is definitely not a pale representation of an expression of your creativity any longer. Although you are simply selling ones and zeros similar to a digital copy of a piece of music, the major difference here is your product is whole. It is a product unto itself. Your expression and talents went into it, similar to the musician, but dissimilar from the musician, you are not selling a representation of your programming prowess. You are selling the complete product of that prowess. Although a huge amount of artistic expression went into the product the actual expression, or representation thereof, is not being sold. If the company you work for was to sell a video of someone playing the game would that actually have any value at all?
Lets go one step further here and look at what a musician could sell that would be similar to a piece of software. I believe an apt analogy would be a training video/manual/whatever to teach someone to play or create music in the style of that musician. It is not a pale representation of that expression or talent it is a work unto itself. The musician has used their talents/abilities/skills to compile a tool to share that knowledge with others. They are not selling the knowledge they are selling the tool to grasp the knowledge. If someone had wanted, they could have watched multiple recordings of that musician doing his thing and possibly come up with some similar knowledge to whats in the video/manual but in essence they are creating their own tool to teach themselves in the process.
I believe movies also fall under this premise. They can be sold as an event, or the media that contains them can be sold, but the movie itself is a pale representation of the expressions of the various talents that created it. That's why cinemas have become more immersive in the last couple of decades. A stage theater presentation, and an IMAX presentation (a simple cinema too to a lesser extent) share something in common, they leave you with the memory of that experience coupled with the artistic expression that was presented. If you were to purchase a recording of that event after, what have you actually purchased? A vehicle to remember the actual experience? Or perhaps it was a advertisement to lure others to the actual event? In the latter case you have paid someone to promote their event.
In a sense Im almost saying that a 'Here is how we made this movie, and the tricks we used, and how you can use them too' video has more value as a tool than the movie does as an expression. This is despite the fact that the movie may have cost more to make.
As for the stole bit, I used that term very glibly and I apologize. My intent was to use it as others use 'stealing' as a poor synonym for infringement upon anothers work/idea. In other words usage of their work/idea with or without permission to further ones own works/ideas. I admit you cannot steal knowledge if someone has spoken it aloud, or wrote it down, or whatever. Once its outta your head its fair game.