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I don't think I can hope to answer many of these questions, but this article seems to bring up (probably unintentionally) a point about "remixing." The article, at least to me, emphasizes this remixing/ plagiarism as a product of the new generation.

Remixing is not new (as the documentary Anne Dalke had us watch, RIP A Re-mix: A Manifesto, often points out). Where is this antagonism coming from? 

As far as I can tell from the article, the author had put the lines and pages she "stole" in a new context. Isn't this just another part of the evolution of literature? RIP A Re-mix: A Manifesto says the new builds upon the old.

I think of fairy tales and the thousands upon thousands of versions that are available today. From Disney movies to comic books to dark and twisted gothic movies, these stories have been remixed without so much accusation of plagiarism as praise for new takes on old tales. This author, however, is getting quite the opposite response to her use of sources. If big companies can be rewarded millions of dollars for rewrites, why can't Helene Hegemann be rewarded for her obviously talented remix? Perhaps it is because she is fighting restrictive, out-dated monetary values. 

Hegemann probably is exploring a gray area, but she didn't discover it. Her critics condemn her for theft and not using her "own words." Yet, I think of Shakespear and the thousands of stories based on his plays that were based on other stories he had heard. Where are the lawsuits for West Side Story? Where are the controversies and scandals against The Lion King?

Hegemann says it best, "“There’s no such thing as originality anyway, just authenticity.” 

Does the internet make it easier to use another's works, or does it merely illustrate what has already been going on with works? Maybe both?

Why is plagiarism such an issue now?