[__loam]

I think it's obviously problematic that these companies are deriving value from millions of people without compensating them, while creating a product that competes with those masses.

[lupire]

You are describing the original meaning of "cultural appropriation", like when jazz and rock & roll were copied from Black American culture and sold.

[__loam]

I am describing "copyright infringement"

[pelagicAustral]

If you are selling something, and no one is buying it, the value you have generated is zero. If you put something online and you did not bother to understand this material can potentially be used by a third-party on account of its loose licensing, then who's to blame?

[int_19h]

But the licensing isn't loose in many (most?) cases we're aware of. Merely making an image publicly available online doesn't give the viewers rights to do whatever they want with it under our copyright laws.

[pelagicAustral]

Well, I suppose the keyword here is "most?" because the burden of proof lies with the prosecution, the legal gymnastics of coming up a reasonable argument to this will be interesting.