the law of energy says that no energy can be free unless the costs are offset to premium payers. Technically speaking, energy would be free if we were to steal it. Morally and ethically we can get away with it if we can make it feasible that we didn't know we were stealing.

This is exactly what happened with Tesla, regardless of the myth: He was leeching from god knows where. Soon after though,he was contacted by some entity whose origin, form,nature and name are unknown (but we do know it spoke on behalf of god knows where) to stop taking that energy.

Voila case settled. Energy was free while it lasted.