Obviously though, the platform is global, and not all territories share the same laws attached to content. I think it's a good sign of "maturation" that we've started discussing ethical and legal implications of steemit posting rules. What I'm currently thinking is the extension of these legal implications: Say an author wants his copyrighted text removed from the blockchain, what then... (I'm not mentioning photographs, because these are typically hosted elsewhere). Who's gonna do it if the platform is decentralized?

Interesting times ahead....

This is correct, but it does not require that the copyright owner enforce any or every instance where the work is used. It is up to that party, and that party alone, to decide whether, for example, getting exposure on the Internet via social media is a net gain or a net loss. No one can legitimately impose such a decision on the copyright owner.

No reply button for you. But I agree. Definitely interesting times. I feel a new kind of common sense for this type of platform will probably develop. There will be some kind of overall rule for copyrighted content. Obviously, as we can see in our discussion, varying opinions abound. There should be some kind of reconciliation.