Without having evidence, for or against your point, I'll confidently say both that you're wrong (about the just for nerds/academics thing), and that mainstream computer use makes demanding full ownership even more important.

You wrote "It was the standard for a couple decades", I'm saying that was so because the stakes were lower, it didn't reach the attention threshold of important enough people who can lobby effectively. Also the zeitgeist is no longer where it was in the 90s and 00s.