[nkohari]

You're right. I don't see footers on each Fry meme attributing the character to Matt Groening. And yet, when you add 24-point Impact font saying something witty, you own it all of a sudden? Give me a break.

If it's fair use to put the text on the image in the first place, then it's fair use to use the image with the text. People can be upset all they want about it, but it's not going to change the fact that the entire spread of memes occurs without respect for (and in fact despite) copyright law.