Let me begin by saying: I am not a lawyer and therefore I am not going to pontificate on anything regarding legalities. However, I would contend that you do not need to be a legal expert to arrive at what is ethical and moral. There are many things that are ‘legal’ to do that many of us could agree are not the ‘right’ or ‘ethical’ or ‘stand-up’ thing to do.
I have had many long conversations with may creative people about ideas, designs, intellectual property, ethics etc.