Know-How Exchange : Advertising/PR

Ideas themselves are not protected by copyright. Now, once you have created a doc or if they take your copyrighten graphics and take them as your own, another issue. Copyright is not about an idea, but an expression. https://www.ipwatchdog.com/copyright/ and by the same site https://www.ipwatchdog.com/inventing/patent-ideas/

Think down and rethink. Is the only value you have is being an "idea person"? Because I think you may be selling yourself very short.

Sell Well and Prosper tm

This is a common question in the creative fields - I helped one of my clients through this.

Increasing protection of creative ideas can be accomplished through several steps. First, make the pitch confidential. Put a message in it that the contents of the pitch are the property of your company and it is unlawful to use anything therein in part or whole. Violators will be prosecuted.

Second, make them sign a confidentiality agreement also. In the agreement, make the same statement as above.

Next, make sure you put the copyright symbol on every page. While not as strong as a registered copyright, the circle-C symbol has legal standing.

While these actions won't guarantee that someone won't try to steal from you, at least you will have a legal standing so you can go after them.

Fourth, don't DO specific work for a prospect! Show them other work that you did that is related to their problems -as an example of what you can do. But don't specifically give them anything they can use without hiring you! That's like giving them a full course meal and when it's gone and they are full, asking them if they would like to pay for it. Some (hopefully most) people will because they have etchics. Some won't.

I hope this helps.

(btw, all of the ideas above are the sole property of me and cannot be used in part or whole except with permission in writing from me. (C) b$olutions 2009.
The contents are private and confidential. For the purposes of this post, I grant any readers registered on MarketingProfs access and use without prejudice. There, see? I'm covered! Actually, I think I signed away my rights here when I signed up for MarketingProfs. The content is really theirs.)

Wayde

Always have a signed agreement prior to executing a project, and get half of the project fees up-front.

This means that there is a financial investment in you, and the prospect is less likely to shop your idea after work has begun.