How to Protect Your Ideas As a Freelancer
Research the entities you plan on disclosing your ideas to., Avoid giving away any details when pitching your ideas to third parties., Agree to provide complete details of a proposed work only once a commissioned deal has been arranged., Request...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Research the entities you plan on disclosing your ideas to.
It is possible to get a lot of information by asking your industry contacts about and searching online accounts of the business practices used by any party or organization you hope to share your idea with.
The best way to protect your ideas is to be choosy about with whom you share them. -
Step 2: Avoid giving away any details when pitching your ideas to third parties.
Otherwise, you may pitch your idea, only to find that it was developed by someone else, who was then given total credit for it.
Instead of expressing the complete who, what, where, when, why and how of your ideas, provide only a broad outline of your concept during your initial pitch in order to protect freelance ideas.
Don't ever give away the sources you plan on using to back your ideas.
Instead, just assert that you have reliable, verifiable sources.
For example, when writing a query letter to an editor about your idea to investigate a black market ring operated by XYZ Enterprises, provide only vague details of the article you want to write: "I would like to uncover the alleged shady business practices of one of our county's largest retail manufacturers."
This may be difficult to do unless you have a rapport with the entity you are submitting an idea to, but you should definitely attempt to procure an assurance of compensation for your finished product before you expound on the details of your idea.
For example, you may present a concept outline, then offer to deliver an original work if, and only if, you are offered a contract with terms you agree to. , Confidentiality agreements, also called non-disclosure agreements or secrecy agreements, are contracts that 2 or more people enter into, in which they agree that certain disclosed information is kept confidential by all involved parties.
These agreements can be used for protecting freelancing ideas, as well as for protecting any other type of intellectual property.
You can find confidentiality agreement templates online, on sites run by copyrighting agencies like the Intellectual Property Office, and use them to protect freelance ideas when you are pitching concepts to potential clients. -
Step 3: Agree to provide complete details of a proposed work only once a commissioned deal has been arranged.
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Step 4: Request confidentiality agreements before you reveal your ideas.
Detailed Guide
It is possible to get a lot of information by asking your industry contacts about and searching online accounts of the business practices used by any party or organization you hope to share your idea with.
The best way to protect your ideas is to be choosy about with whom you share them.
Otherwise, you may pitch your idea, only to find that it was developed by someone else, who was then given total credit for it.
Instead of expressing the complete who, what, where, when, why and how of your ideas, provide only a broad outline of your concept during your initial pitch in order to protect freelance ideas.
Don't ever give away the sources you plan on using to back your ideas.
Instead, just assert that you have reliable, verifiable sources.
For example, when writing a query letter to an editor about your idea to investigate a black market ring operated by XYZ Enterprises, provide only vague details of the article you want to write: "I would like to uncover the alleged shady business practices of one of our county's largest retail manufacturers."
This may be difficult to do unless you have a rapport with the entity you are submitting an idea to, but you should definitely attempt to procure an assurance of compensation for your finished product before you expound on the details of your idea.
For example, you may present a concept outline, then offer to deliver an original work if, and only if, you are offered a contract with terms you agree to. , Confidentiality agreements, also called non-disclosure agreements or secrecy agreements, are contracts that 2 or more people enter into, in which they agree that certain disclosed information is kept confidential by all involved parties.
These agreements can be used for protecting freelancing ideas, as well as for protecting any other type of intellectual property.
You can find confidentiality agreement templates online, on sites run by copyrighting agencies like the Intellectual Property Office, and use them to protect freelance ideas when you are pitching concepts to potential clients.
About the Author
John Stevens
Enthusiastic about teaching crafts techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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