Protected Words and Ideas

It disheartens me when I read about instances of content creators stealing the published work of any type of creator by republishing stories and original ideas from them and passing them as their own. And an unspeakable span of emotions rage when creators become victimized by this dishonesty. When writers, computer software, or video creators, as well as artists, either audaciously or shrewdly engage in this type of thievery, they plagiarize the work of others.

The online Merriam-Webster Dictionary specifies solid definitions for the word plagiarize. According to this dictionary, it means

“to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one’s own;

use (another’s production) without crediting the source; and

to commit literary theft: present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source”.

As writers, videographers, and artists among other creative individuals, we must remain committed to protecting the work of collegial creators. This is especially true because content writers comprise a unique community of thought leaders. And when members exist within a community, they ought to remain dedicated to honoring shared values embedded with integrity at its core.

To ensure that this happens, I have created a list of reminders for creators to consider before publishing their work.

Remember These Three Things

1. If you appreciate the ideas that other writing or video creators present in their published work and you want to enhance your story with these thoughts, just give the writer credit in your story. Add their quotes with their names or document their name as their thoughts are explained. For more academic stories, add a reference section at the end of the story to fully credit the writer you admire.

2. Even if you value the work of another writer, never reproduce their work without getting their permission to do so. Do not assume that it is okay with any author to copy their work and use their stories at meetings, conferences, or other gatherings.

3. If you are making a speech, facilitating a workshop or conference, or participating in an interview, never share the published ideas of a content creator without giving him or her proper credit. This means that the name of the author should be mentioned and their article, story, video, or book should be mentioned.

The Final Thought

Copyright laws are in place to protect the intellectual property of creators.

Content creators must endeavor to respect copyright laws and other creators by allowing integrity to remain their guiding light. When honesty enlightens the path of creators, their unique perspective and knowledge base, as well as originality, becomes illuminated.

Be sure to consider all the other ways that creators need to be respected that were not presented in this story. We must remain dedicated to supporting them by respecting their what what exclusively belongs to them.

Thank you for your interest in the topic of plagiarism. If this story helped you to develop a bold opinion about this subject matter, consider sharing your perspective on your social media platforms. In fact, I personally challenge you to write a story about it.

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This story was originally published in Synergy on Medium.com.