I honestly have no horse in this race.
If CBS got a little bit more than just "inspired" by this guys idea, they should pay up accordingly. If it turns out to be a pure coincidence, I can't blame the guy for trying, but also understand if he gets nothing but trouble out of this whole thing.
Overall, the giant Tardigrade was probably the only unique addition to the franchise in season 1 of DIS that was also interesting. I could have done without the whole "super mushroom" explanation, and making the FTL instantanious instead of just "faster than anyone else" really created a clusterfuck of continuity issues. But overall, having a giant, alien living being as part of a hypercharged engine was an interesting idea (even if it was already used on VOY before - but there was still unmined potential in there!).
So I was sad to see him go this fast, especially since I have the feeling his plotline really never got logically resolved, and felt like a rushed exit (did they mentioned why it was unbearable for the Tardigrade, but not for Stamets? I honestly don't remember anymore...)