With both content management and marketing being a huge business today, it is always devastating to notice cases of plagiarism. If you have ever been a college or higher level student, you must be aware of the fact that plagiarism is not only unethical and immoral but also illegal. Anyone involved in creative industries must be knowledgeable about copyright issues overall, including how to refer to, or how to cite original content.
As a creative business person and entrepreneur myself, I have published hundreds of articles online. My Tweets have been viewed more than one billion (1.000.000.000) times. I have had to be careful with copyright issues many times, and check what I can do as a writer/publisher on digital and social media, and what I am NOT allowed to do.
With more than half a million contacts/followers on digital and social media in at least 227 different countries worldwide, I can personally not afford to make mistakes like plagiarizing content from other professionals. As a matter of fact, it is deeply devastating and shameful to notice people plagiarizing content (photos, text), especially when you personally or your staff is doing everything to follow general legislation and rules to check possible plagiarization.
Just a few days before Christmas 2018, I received an email from one of my followers who asked me if I am aware of the fact that my articles are being plagiarized, followed by a specific person´s name and a link to the text that had been copied. I checked the text, which was a direct copy of an article that I had written and published one year earlier both on my business website, on LinkedIn, and through BizCatalyst 360°, a Tampa-based online publisher with whom I have been cooperating with for more than three years now.
This was not the first time in history that my creative work was plagiarized, but I do hope that it was the last. Needless to mention any names at this point, I have decided to remove and block people from my network, who have been reported by some of my other contacts/followers to have plagiarized my content.
Anyone active and working within the creative industry must be knowledgeable about, and follow general rules concerning content creation and management. This includes the understanding about what you can do online, and what you cannot do. Direct copies of other people´s content is one form of plagiarism, and thus illegal. Make sure to learn the basics and essentials of copyright issues, and for instance how to cite/refer to articles published by other businesses, or by other entrepreneurs.
Anyone in the creative industry has a right/copyright to their work, and it is up to that person to decide how his or her work can be used by other businesses, entrepreneurs or individuals. Thank you for taking the time to read this article, and for your consideration in terms of copyright issues and possible infringements.
