[IronJack]

The "Ode to Joy" portion of it was pretty much lifted from Schiller.

The lyrics were. The music is all Beethoven. And Beethoven took considerable artistic license with the lyrics as well. It's not a competition, but a blend of two sublime talents.

[Frumious Bandersnatch]

Are you sure?  My mom used to play "Ode to Joy" all the time on the piano from a book of Schiller's works.

I agree that it doesn't diminish Beethoven's work, since borrowing from others wasn't uncommon.