> I think it would be a much happier world if we could trade transformative jokes and memes on the internet with impunity, but still agree that there's a bright

> I think it would be a much happier world if we could trade transformative jokes and memes on the internet with impunity, but still agree that there's a bright line between that and trying to trade on someone else's idea. Isn't that the status quo? If you make a "Oh, the places you'll boldly go!" joke on HN, the Geisel estate won't come after you - or if they do, your post will be taken down after almost everyone who was going to read it has read it. If a million people make a million "Oh, the places you'll boldly go!" jokes on social media, maybe they'll come after the 10 most popular. If so, the world can live with the other 990,000. More likely though, they'll come after the 10 guys , the 10 guys selling T-shirts with the meme, who you already agree are fair game.