About stealing ideas, I am in a slightly different situation...
I teach art in a school (I am in Portugal) where there is almost no "real"
art taught. The classes I give are "extra-curriculum" meaning, the kids have
to pay and only the one that want it attend. But I have noticed ( I have
been at that school 4 years, teaching to kids from 4 years old to 12) that
the regular teachers, from the small grades have started copying / inspiring
themselves from my ideas... I don't know if I have to get angry or be happy
that finally art is starting to get some recognition at the school! My work
gets complicated because I have to invent new ideas but... I don't like to
do the same works over and over again anyway....