I develop software and distribute it for professional use. If say person X somehow downloads illegally the software I created then my income is damaged, because I am a minor developer and not a company like microsoft(NOT pinponting just reffering). In this case the person X is depriving me of my right and earns a sin. If its a big company they do have a lot of assets and the developers of software there are related indirectly to consumer(host), but still you are depriving the developer of his rights(the right of getting paid his share for each copy of software sold), even though Dr Zakir said it's okay, from the perspective of a person who is himself a developer it is bad and he doesn't like it. AND Islam never teaches harming anyone whether muslim or not, directly or indirectly, physically or emotionally. If you want to use a software then use the free version if available, try a free alternative, or try through a different path, like beta testing as said in other comments,or using student versions or using trial or the other reasons mentioned by Dr Zakir(like if you need it desperately and can't afford it). As soon as you start earning then pay for the software.
AND I AGREE with Ali Adams in the thing that if you payback to community say by giving free source code or helping someone understand to do something And if you keep your intention clean , i.e, you wont sell the software you designed in pirated copy of the software you've got, because that too is indirectly hurting the original developer.