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What to do when your ideas, event and show concepts, and messaging is plagiarised and why it’s important not to do that.
Among the business names I trademarked, was the saying “Be The Star That You Are,” which is short for you, be the original you, and not someone else. And shine in your own light.
I will never forget the day a guy I had never met, walked into my shop in South Yarra, for an interview about working from my shop. He proceeded to hand me flyers about all the things he apparently did and the myriad of associations he claimed to be a member of. I knew I needed to meet him but was sure from the outset that I would neither hire him nor rent out one of my consulting rooms to him due to an issue with his lack of integrity, but knew I had to see about him to find the rest of it....
And there it was…On one of the flyers, about “his” mentoring and professional development services for newly emerging psychics in the industry...Right there, on that page, was two paragraphs and about 500 words of my own complete word for word text. It had been lifted straight from my editorial in a magazine that year all about my mentoring for newly emerging psychic professionals. He wasn’t the first and he hasn’t since been the last to copy my concepts or work, or that of many others I know as professionals in the field.
Ironically, my copied word for word text that now appeared on his flyer did make mention about how as a mentor “I” could help “you” to find and express "your" own unique words, message, and branding, to best express "your" service offering…To be used in your advertising and promotional materials, to help the public see your genuine and authentic energy as a professional through the message you had to share about what it is you offer.
I also recall a later phone call and email from him in which I very calmly but clearly helped him understand Australian copyright and commercial law surrounding plagiarism, and why it isn’t a good idea to do this to a witch. Suffice to say he was extremely apologetic later on, and I didn’t hire him or rent out a room to him, and of course, all of his promotional materials later went through a very expensive shredding exercise.
When people get into the psychic, wellbeing, and spiritual fields they can get really excited about what to call events, shows, and even how to write up information about their business, and can, as in many examples I have come across, pluck a name out of the universe to call their event. The problem for everyone including themselves is one that they create alone by failing to do the due diligence at the business end. It’s really important to first check to see if the name you were "divinely guided" to use isn’t already registered with the appropriate bodies to someone else before you are guided to use it and claim to be the Managing Director. Otherwise, the actual Managing Director of the already existing enterprise may have something to say to you about that... They may not be all "love and light" and marshmallows about it when their hard earned work is undermined by yet another a newbie on the scene who is stepping on their and other people in this field's various intellectual property and copyrights.
One of the most important things for you to do is to avoid copying anyone else’s words, business names, or concepts, because ultimately doing that will fail, why? It’s not your specific energy and original creation, that business or event name may be known by others as something else, connected to someone else, and sooner or later people will find out that your “great idea” wasn’t “your idea” at all, and it will cause you and your spirituality and business to hit a dead end in the road.
And, that brings us to the next lesson, to be careful who you work with, an example of that was another person who wanted to offer business mentoring but had never had business or corporate senior management experience. Apparently that is where they thought I came in, having been on the board of management of a global company, and in senior management in a range of roles over time, as well as in small business start-ups over the course of my life, and mentoring for businesses in a range of industries. If you really know your stuff and your offering is unique, you won’t necessarily need to collaborate unless it is with someone who can offer more or something different to you. Not just more of the same, it's like having 5 beige shirts, surely one was more than enough.
In the end, people will feel how much they can or can’t relate to and trust you by the attitudes you take to other people’s boundaries and sovereignty, as well as by your own. By the promises you make and keep, by how genuine you are from the ground up.
And there it was…On one of the flyers, about “his” mentoring and professional development services for newly emerging psychics in the industry...Right there, on that page, was two paragraphs and about 500 words of my own complete word for word text. It had been lifted straight from my editorial in a magazine that year all about my mentoring for newly emerging psychic professionals. He wasn’t the first and he hasn’t since been the last to copy my concepts or work, or that of many others I know as professionals in the field.
Ironically, my copied word for word text that now appeared on his flyer did make mention about how as a mentor “I” could help “you” to find and express "your" own unique words, message, and branding, to best express "your" service offering…To be used in your advertising and promotional materials, to help the public see your genuine and authentic energy as a professional through the message you had to share about what it is you offer.
I also recall a later phone call and email from him in which I very calmly but clearly helped him understand Australian copyright and commercial law surrounding plagiarism, and why it isn’t a good idea to do this to a witch. Suffice to say he was extremely apologetic later on, and I didn’t hire him or rent out a room to him, and of course, all of his promotional materials later went through a very expensive shredding exercise.
When people get into the psychic, wellbeing, and spiritual fields they can get really excited about what to call events, shows, and even how to write up information about their business, and can, as in many examples I have come across, pluck a name out of the universe to call their event. The problem for everyone including themselves is one that they create alone by failing to do the due diligence at the business end. It’s really important to first check to see if the name you were "divinely guided" to use isn’t already registered with the appropriate bodies to someone else before you are guided to use it and claim to be the Managing Director. Otherwise, the actual Managing Director of the already existing enterprise may have something to say to you about that... They may not be all "love and light" and marshmallows about it when their hard earned work is undermined by yet another a newbie on the scene who is stepping on their and other people in this field's various intellectual property and copyrights.
One of the most important things for you to do is to avoid copying anyone else’s words, business names, or concepts, because ultimately doing that will fail, why? It’s not your specific energy and original creation, that business or event name may be known by others as something else, connected to someone else, and sooner or later people will find out that your “great idea” wasn’t “your idea” at all, and it will cause you and your spirituality and business to hit a dead end in the road.
And, that brings us to the next lesson, to be careful who you work with, an example of that was another person who wanted to offer business mentoring but had never had business or corporate senior management experience. Apparently that is where they thought I came in, having been on the board of management of a global company, and in senior management in a range of roles over time, as well as in small business start-ups over the course of my life, and mentoring for businesses in a range of industries. If you really know your stuff and your offering is unique, you won’t necessarily need to collaborate unless it is with someone who can offer more or something different to you. Not just more of the same, it's like having 5 beige shirts, surely one was more than enough.
In the end, people will feel how much they can or can’t relate to and trust you by the attitudes you take to other people’s boundaries and sovereignty, as well as by your own. By the promises you make and keep, by how genuine you are from the ground up.
"It's the dark of the night sky
which makes the stars shine brighter...
Look within,
find your inner light,
be the star that you are."
Jacquelene Close Moore
which makes the stars shine brighter...
Look within,
find your inner light,
be the star that you are."
Jacquelene Close Moore
Being trustworthy goes a long way. And, while there is nothing wrong with competition, predatory competition is just a sign of a lack of genuine imagination and security in your own ideas. Thinking you are smart by posting false negative reviews about others, or scheming to trade of someone else’s hard work for the name for your event, or harvesting people’s facebook friends lists or event attendees lists might get you short term extra views, likes and attendees, but people figure it all out in the end, and that is when it all hits a wall. This is why many like that come and go from our industry, while the stayers, the ones that have been around 21 plus years or more, like myself and so many others, see all of that behaviour as pedestrian, just plain stupid and self-defeating … And it’s not terribly spiritual, for all the talk by such people of ascension. Sometimes some back to basics on ethics would go a long way, but are largely missed by those types, and we long out last them.
Be unique, be authentic, be you.
There isn’t any other you, so make the most of who and what you are.
Be unique, be authentic, be you.
There isn’t any other you, so make the most of who and what you are.
Steps to take to protect your business name:-
Register it or Trademark it before launching, then people don’t have as long to clone or invent new versions of your idea and concept. if trademarking, cover every possible category that your business may operate within today and into the future. Understand that even after trademarking your business name that won’t stop some rather audacious “spiritual” people from getting their lawyer to try to say you aren’t using your trademark and try to take it off you. So, use your trademark, (if you are going to have one), everywhere you go and on all promotional materials.
And, if that all seems a bit scary or heavy for you, just remember your name is your own, unless you are in America, and even then singers and actors find themselves having to trademark their names these days.
And lastly, I recall a very famous Australian psychic in years gone by who had to fight in court to stop a phone line they had no affiliation with and received no royalties from, was advertised everywhere they and their own genuine phone line was advertised. They actually had to fight in court to have all monies made on the strength of their own name returned to them and the competing company shut down. It was exhausting and expensive for her, but in the ens she won, but not everyone ends up that lucky.
Only you can weigh up what is important for you on a business level, as well as a spiritual one. But it is wise to have all the right advice and guidance, and if that fails, I thoroughly recommend making a public statement that you and your business have no affiliation with the other person who is using your business name for their event which they are using but haven’t even registered, and that should at least let your clients know that you aren't involved so they aren't disappointed and confused when you aren't part of it, although it is doubtful the person using your business name will think twice about such an announcement, after all they were tone deaf enough to copy your name and concept in almost its entirety from the outset without doing the right checks.
Key point, you will save yourself looking like an idiot if you also do the right checks before proceeding with your great idea.
Knowing your stuff and not assuming incorrectly goes a long, long way.
Lots of love
Jacquelene
Soul Star Radio
Register it or Trademark it before launching, then people don’t have as long to clone or invent new versions of your idea and concept. if trademarking, cover every possible category that your business may operate within today and into the future. Understand that even after trademarking your business name that won’t stop some rather audacious “spiritual” people from getting their lawyer to try to say you aren’t using your trademark and try to take it off you. So, use your trademark, (if you are going to have one), everywhere you go and on all promotional materials.
And, if that all seems a bit scary or heavy for you, just remember your name is your own, unless you are in America, and even then singers and actors find themselves having to trademark their names these days.
And lastly, I recall a very famous Australian psychic in years gone by who had to fight in court to stop a phone line they had no affiliation with and received no royalties from, was advertised everywhere they and their own genuine phone line was advertised. They actually had to fight in court to have all monies made on the strength of their own name returned to them and the competing company shut down. It was exhausting and expensive for her, but in the ens she won, but not everyone ends up that lucky.
Only you can weigh up what is important for you on a business level, as well as a spiritual one. But it is wise to have all the right advice and guidance, and if that fails, I thoroughly recommend making a public statement that you and your business have no affiliation with the other person who is using your business name for their event which they are using but haven’t even registered, and that should at least let your clients know that you aren't involved so they aren't disappointed and confused when you aren't part of it, although it is doubtful the person using your business name will think twice about such an announcement, after all they were tone deaf enough to copy your name and concept in almost its entirety from the outset without doing the right checks.
Key point, you will save yourself looking like an idiot if you also do the right checks before proceeding with your great idea.
Knowing your stuff and not assuming incorrectly goes a long, long way.
Lots of love
Jacquelene
Soul Star Radio
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