If you're a small family store that makes an amazing recipe and people love it, and you keep that recipe a secret. You're honestly okay with a competitor stealing it? Not a competitor making a bad ripoff, but finding a way to get the recipe and using that to clone the meal for a profit.
Obviously with larger companies it's easier to say fuck them but investing time in something and then having it taken is a hit even if its "information", isn't it?
I'd argue memes that duplicate other peoples work are common but questionable on the ethical front.
Kind of like how alcohol consumption is common and got shoehorned in through our long history with it but newer drugs are more likely to have people question their cost to society (and demonise them usually for political gain, still many have some obvious costs).