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Protecting Ideas, Preserving Trust: How Pitchmark is Raising Awareness of Procurement Ethics at NTW 2025
PitchMark continued its participation in Malaysia’s National Training Week (NTW) 2025, on June 19th by presenting a standout webinar entitled “Reducing Risk of Vendor IP Infringement” for Chief Procurement Officers to equip them with procedural guidelines and practical tools for respecting vendors’ intellectual property (IP) when receiving tender bids and pitches.
Led by PitchMark Founder Mark Laudi and PitchMark’s Legal Advisor Frank Rittman, the webinar peeled back the layers of a persistent and often unspoken issue: idea theft during tenders and pitches. With eye-opening real-world scenarios, including candid admissions of misappropriation by procurement teams, the session highlighted just how vulnerable creative pitches are when IP protection is treated as an afterthought.
A standout message? IP infringement doesn’t have to be intentional to be costly. Legal damages, public apologies, and reputational harm are real risks—even for well-meaning companies – as illustrated by high-profile cases brought against companies in Malaysia and around the world.
The webinar, therefore, highlighted how implementing IP compliance contributes directly to achieving UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 8 and 12, which concern sustainable growth and ethical sourcing, respectively. Topics of particular importance during the presentation included the importance of publicly committing to IP sustainability and communicating that commitment not only to a company’s employees but also to its customers, suppliers, partners, and investors. In today’s interconnected and content-driven economy, how a company communicates its values can be just as important as the policies it implements, and IP sustainability is no exception. Specific recommendations touched upon the incorporation of appropriate disclosure language in both internal and outgoing materials, the review and revision, where appropriate, of such materials, 360° reporting, and the use of broader communication channels.
PitchMark is a Singapore-based company that provides creators worldwide with a free, blockchain-based tool that evidences their relationships with their output and its subsequent distribution, playing a vital role in deterring IP theft. Pitchmark allows vendors to timestamp and verify their original proposals, artwork, and concepts before submitting them to prospective clients. PitchMark also offers a comprehensive IP Compliance Certification Training program to companies, providing more than 75 specific recommendations across twelve categories of concern and accompanied by sample templates and correspondence.
Ultimately, messaging and communication around IP compliance aren’t just about compliance – they’re about building a brand of integrity. When stakeholders consistently encounter the same responsible messages across various touchpoints, they begin to associate the company with trustworthiness, foresight, and professionalism. These qualities are invaluable not only for reputational management but also for attracting high-quality collaborators and fostering a more respectful and innovative business environment.
PitchMark trains clients to respect vendors’ intellectual property and build lasting trust, leading the way in responsible procurement. Get PitchMark certified to position your brand as a leader in ethical sourcing and innovation. Visit PitchMark.net and register as a PitchMark client today.
