[Repeal The 17th]

You are correct.
“Appropriated” would mean the original owner no longer had “it”.
A better word would be adopted or adapted.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Both would work. Inspired by would also accurate. But that would not sound mean and so would not inspire guilt.

Quite frankly we have been imitating each other since time began. Person A sees person B placing a nut on a rock before hitting it with another rock. Person A realizes that this works much better then placing a nut on the ground and hitting it with a rock. Person A then figures out that if you place the nut in an indentation in the rock it does not move as much when you hit it. Person B sees this and does the same.

Exchange of ideas begins and the first faltering steps toward civilization are taken.

If Person B had thrown a fit about ‘Cultural Appropriation’ no advancement would have happened.