Working on a new story

At long last, I've started working on my next story.
The scope of it surprised even me. While it is comparatively small, my perfectionism and obsession drive me to dig into tons of material for the sake of pumping out a few lines. World-building and analysis are my long-time passion, but world-building must stand on firm factual ground to maintain suspense of disbelief. It must be believable to become truly immersive, and that is not as easy as one may think.

Almost a year has passed, and I still don't know where this story will bring me. Real life issues continue to interfere. The war goes on, pushing me to make decisions and take positions no one else can currently fill. I have positive examples before my very eyes, but everypony and everybody is different, both in talents and in endurance. Someone going to great lengths doesn't mean I can do the same. Burnout is a real threat.
I know I don't really have more than maybe half a dozen of readers. Still, I feel I need a place to vent my feelings. If someone finds it useful, I'll be glad.
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That being said, I believe asking questions is often more valuable that answering them. Questions nudge you to think. There are some world-building and writing questions I'd like to share.

First of all, current IP laws dictate that there is a defined position of an author who enjoys many privileges, including monopoly on deciding how his creation evolves and who owns it.
Back in the day, when these laws were defined, creations were mostly the result of a work done by one man. These laws were created to reward this man, inspire innovation and propagate progress. You could be sure you would be the one to reap rewards, and that encouraged you to work.
While this model probably worked good in the past for inventors, in our days different creative models (especially for works of art and information) are increasingly often. Co-working and co-creation becomes more and more popular. Social networks (and FIMFiction and DeviantArt are both social networks) allow you to shape your thoughts into words on the screen for anyone to see. Popular creations inspire fandoms. Fandoms inspire more creativity in their followers, triggering a chain reaction of making new things and drawing in more people. From memes to drawings to stories to videos. It's not only about Hasbro or any other IP holder, it is about creativity in general. "Intellectial Property" attains a form of a repulsive legalese that poorly describes this kind of magic, and century-old laws, once created to protect inspiration, become walls and barriers limiting the phenomenon that has long since outgrew the old mould.

"Whatever is well said by another, is mine", Seneca once said. I see it not as a plagiarism but as incorporating and sharing feelings. When your mirror neurons are firing signals and you feel empathy for the heroes, don't you make them your own? When you write fanfiction and create breathtaking drawings of ponies or Harry Potter or anything else, don't you make them your own?
Creating something is not unlike giving birth to a child. You give her a part of your DNA, you shape her, but in the end she starts living her own life, outgrowing anything you might have in store for her. Once you share your work with the world, is it still truly exclusively yours?

On the other hand, creating something means pouring your time, effort and feelings into it, shaping it with your mind. You rise together and you fall together. Can a creation be considered a living thing that you have no right to limit? Without you, it would never exist in the first place. When you co-create, and fan work is co-creation, you cannot be sure that another person shares your vision of the heroes and the story. We are all different, our different experiences shape our perception. And where there is a difference, there is a possible conflict. Thus, jealousy is born. Can we really say that this jealousy experienced by the author is not justified?

Some authors like Kkat try to employ "weak control", where they outright allow derivative fan-fiction, not unlike Creative Commons licenses. Sometimes they ask for a tribute and "not-endorsed" disclaimer, sometimes they don't. This scheme is tempting, but I'm not sure if it really works. Moreover, it can be applied to finished creations, not the ones that are still a work in progress.

That brings me to a second part of my blog post. I am currently considering taking outside help with my world-building (not that there is a queue of wannabe-helpers), but a part of me says it's a sure way to either help stealing it or corrupt it contrary to what I want it to be. I am not sure what should I do.

Internet is an interesting place. It raises new questions we are not yet prepared to answer. Or are we?