PitchMark

Image source: imdb.com / Philippine Star

8 July 2022 10:45

Filmmaker Lauren Greenfield accuses marketing company in the Philippines of using photograph of former first lady Imelda Marcos

American documentary filmmaker Lauren Greenfield has accused a billboard company in the Philippines of using a copyright protected photograph of the former first lady Imelda Marcos.

The photograph of Marcos in a red gown was used in publicity posters from Greenfield’s award-winning documentary 2019 “The Kingmaker,” which chronicles the life and career of Marcos and her husband, ousted Pr

13 October 2021 08:00

PitchMark calls for fundamental rethink of Intellectual Property value among creators and their clients

In a digital world, where economic value is created before products are manufactured and before services are executed, the value of IP should get much greater emphasis than is currently the case. Ironically, this is often least appreciated by the innovators who create this value, especially when they pitch their ideas to prospective clients and investors.

Image credit: Screen shot of the video posted by The Guardian

3 January 2019 08:51

Fortnite developer sued by Creators of dance moves

A rapper named 2Milly is claiming the video game Fortnite is copying his signature dance move and selling it, and he is suing the game’s developer Epic Games. In the lawsuit, 2Milly claims Epic Games is using his “Milly Rock” dance move and profiting from it by turning it into an in-game Emote called “Swipe It”. Emotes are dances that players can use in the game to express themselves.

All aboard: the app developers weren't very pleased with the exchange of ideas

15 September 2017 08:50

App designer accuses MTR: Please stand back from the ideas

Hong Kong's MTR refutes allegations by an app designer that it stole their ideas. Promised to call them to clear things up.

23 March 2017 08:37

Bagging a tea slogan lands agency in hot water

The Malaysian branch of major international advertising agency TBWA has found itself infused in hot water over claims a slogan for a bubble tea franchise was copied from a local motorcycling lifestyle brand.
The slogan "Never fear the strong. Especially strong tea" was recently adopted by Tealife in a major rebranding exercise (forced upon owner Loob Holdings by a dispute dubbed the "bubble tea

Imitation might be the best form of flattery, but not when the idea is stolen before it's implemented. Image source: screen shot from Akin Fadeyi's video teaser for "Not In My Country".

10 March 2017 08:48

The corrupting power of idea theft

Even politics is not immune to idea theft. While political parties generally try to attract voters by being different from other parties, sometimes adopting the policies of others and calling them your own is a better strategy.

Poster from the Australian version of Married At First Sight. But how promiscuous has the show's format been?

8 March 2017 08:36

Stealing ideas for TV shows - that’s reality!

Good ideas can make or break a TV show - especially in reality TV. So it's no wonder writers are tempted to copy ideas from already successful shows. But does that make it right?

3 March 2017 08:58

Pitch fees: don’t bank on them

Advertising agencies have long asked prospective clients to pay pitch fees, to compensate them for the time and effort that goes into creating pitches - even if they end up unsuccessful. Singapore's Central Provident Fund is now offering such fees. In general, we don't advocate pitch fees because it could reduce your claim to compensation if you lose a pitch, but your ideas are used anyway.

Not even noble causes like the Dakota Access Pipeline are safe from idea theft. Image source: Shailene Woodley

3 March 2017 08:30

Standing Rock a sitting duck for intellectual property thieves

T-shirt designs to support native Americans in the Dakota Access Pipeline dispute are themselves subject of dispute, with lots of rip offs jumping onto the bandwagon.

This unattributed image accompanied Waymo's post on the issue on Medium.com. You'll find a link to the article below.

28 February 2017 08:48

Google-Uber stoush shows the importance of being in the driver’s seat of your ideas

There are lessons for anyone with an idea in Google's suit against Uber over self-driving technology.

Idea theft in the fashion industry is bad enough. It's worse when sacred cultural designs are co-opted. Picture credit: Nate Francis/Unék Photography

22 February 2017 08:52

Stitched up: The fashion industry's culture of appropriation

The fashion industry is particularly rife with idea theft. Better PitchMark your designs before you pitch them to a fashion design house.

21 February 2017 08:02

Seven ways to protect your ideas. Or is it eight?

How to protect your brilliant idea from being stolen? Technology writer Mehul Rajput has given the issue some thought, specifically as it relates to smart phone apps. He sees these as the latest virtual "picks and shovels" for Creators to mine the treasured seams of internet gold and quickly turn a dream into a fortune. But he has this warning.
"If you, too, are an entrepreneur in the area of m

Serious matter: Conan O'Brien denies stealing another comedian's jokes. Photo credit: Gage Skidmore

18 February 2017 18:40

Borrowed jokes: Idea theft is no laughing matter

Comedian Conan O'Brien is defending himself against claims by another comedian that he stole his jokes.

This is the photo tweeted by Duff Goldman, to show his cake against that of Donald Trump

8 February 2017 10:38

How to avoid a bun fight over your original ideas

What the controversy over Donald Trump's inauguration cake tells us about idea theft.

PitchMark your pitch documents before submitting them to a movie studio or television station. This will help you prove when you produced them if a dispute arises later on.

8 August 2016 13:29

Warner Brothers to face the music of "Kong: Skull Island" idea theft claim

A suit against Warner Bros has taken another step forward, with a Los Angeles Court reportedly rejecting the studio's bid to evade a claim by artist Joe DeVito.

Idea theft is an even bigger issue advertising agencies face.

3 August 2016 09:09

SMU pay-to-pitch scandal adds to ad agency woes

In what is fast becoming the "pay-to-pitch" scandal, Singapore Management University has asked advertising agencies wanting to win their creative, digital and media business to pay S$100 just to take part in the tender. But paying for tenders is just one of several issues agencies face in their day-to-day work. Having their ideas stolen is another.

Categories: marketing magazine