1. On the internet large amounts of traffic means that you will have trolls galore. In my eyes some of those comments are normal internet fodder and just need to be moderated out.
2. You are using IP that you do not own. Memes are not public domain. Of course that is going to get people angry, particularly when there is money involved.
If you're going to copy photos and paste funny text on them without considering whether you have legal rights to use the photo, then who am I to stop you? I like memes. But then if are going to cry "IP rights" when somebody else takes the same photo plus your funny text and uses it in some other way - then in my book you get filed under H for Hypocrite.
I think what that is, people showing their true colors about respect for other's work. If it's convenient to use something then it's fair-use and the IP owner can go screw himself. But if somebody takes OUR stuff, then bring the vengeance of the Internet upon thee with furious anger!
If it's fair use to put the text on the image in the first place, then it's fair use to use the image with the text. People can be upset all they want about it, but it's not going to change the fact that the entire spread of memes occurs without respect for (and in fact despite) copyright law.
2. Even under fair use? How do sites like memegenerator, knowyourmeme, and others get away with it? They make money. My project was free.
Honestly though this is just couch-analytics from me. I'm not sure how copyright applies to meme pictures and am fascinated by related court cases. Anyone else have interesting meme/copyright-related court case suggestions?