As someone who has learned a lot by looking at, and trying to use other peoples code, and, or, circuits, I just had to give my 2 cents here.
I would say, by my years of experience with people (I've taught in university, btw,) that there really are two kinds of people.
There are those who have the ability to question themselves, and those who think they are always right. Usually the former are very polite individuals, who have what it takes to learn from someone else's work, and adapt it for their own needs The later just demand help, seem to have no respect for anyone, and blame the helper when they are unable to use the help.
Helping those in the first category is usually very gratifying, as one can see what they have done with what has been given them.
Helping those in the later category is usually painful, and disheartening.
The open source movement is encouraging my faith in my fellow man, and I believe, helping mankind in general, to move ahead.
I'm quite repulsed by those who think of themselves as geniuses, with original ideas which are worth a fortune, and for which they should have all the accolades and get really rich. Ideas come from ideas, and the genius, in most cases, is myth.
If someone does put their name on your research, and try to pass it off as academic, or commercial, you do have recourse, although it may be too much to do the right thing, and prove you were first.
I don't have a black and white answer; I don't believe there is one. The whole reason I enjoy electronics is that there usually aren't black and white answers, rather myriad paths to similar conclusions.
This is rubbing up against one of my pet peeves, which is the global myth of experience. No two individuals profit the same from an experience! Yet industry blindly asks for x years of experience, without concern for the many other factors.
I hope there is some value for you here.
Best wishes,
Robert