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Image Source: nobelprize.org / goodreads.com / theguardian.com

Novelist John Hughes in hot water over plagiarism accusations

Sydney-based Australian writer-novelist John Hughes and his work "The Dogs" is under intense scrutiny these past few weeks due to allegations of plagiarism. The Guardian Australia investigated and found multiple similarities and identical instances from another literary work, Svetlana Alexievich’s The Unwomanly Face of War. The issue has caused Hughes' work to be removed from the longlist for the

Image source: BBC.com / equineteurope.org / Nyome Nicholas-Williams Instagram account

Spanish beach body campaign used a model’s image without her consent

British model Nyome Nicholas-Williams has accused Spain’s Ministry of Equality of using her photo from Instagram and featuring it in their advertisement without her permission.
The ministry launched a summer campaign that features five diverse women chilling out on a beach to persuade women who are worried about their body looks and, therefore, avoid going to the beach.
The Institute for Wom

Screengrab of www.dreamstime.com

Dreamstime launches new tool to help, educate and persuade naive copyright infringers

Dreamstime, one of the world’s leaders in photo licensing, has introduced LicenseGuard, a proprietary copyright tracking tool that seeks to resolve disputes by offering cost-effective licensing as well as education.
The tool will use AI-powered scanning technology, cutting-edge image recognition algorithms, and human assessment to track, detect, and flag potentially unlicensed uses of the agenc

How independent creators or screenwriters can safeguard their original ideas and negotiate better terms with the film industry

How independent creators or screenwriters can safeguard their original ideas and negotiate better terms with the film industry

The ongoing disruption in the film and television industry has changed the way movies are produced, distributed, and consumed. With the proliferation of subscription-based video-on-demand (SVOD) and Over the Tops (OTTs), the demand for original as well as regional content has increased enormously, which in turn has opened up a gamut of opportunities for independent creators.
Gone are the days w

Images from respective Instagram accounts

Kim Kardashian’s skin care brand SKKN called out for similarities to two existing brand names - SKKN+ and SKN by LH

SKKN by KIM, Kim Kardashian's recently launched skincare brand has been accused of stealing its name from two already existing beauty brands SKKN+ and Lori Harvey's skincare line SKN by LH.
In July 2021, Kardashian’s legal team received a cease-and-desist from a company, Beauty Concepts LLC, whose owner Cyndie Lunsford claimed that she has been operating salons under

CTTO: Katten.com

Did Nike really come up with the 'Ballin' concept, or was it Adobe Bryant who pitched it to them?

Graphic designer Landon T. Jones has filed an idea theft suit against Nike for stealing his design for the NCAA’s “March Madness” promotional campaign.
Jones, aka Adobe Bryant, claims to have pitched his idea to Nike’s marketing executive in April 2020 by providing a Dropbox link.
He further claims that the executive looked at the deck multiple times, but never contacted him to approve or re

Can IP laws protect your work from being ripped off when evolving technologies are constantly changing the rules of the game?

Can IP laws protect your work from being ripped off when evolving technologies are constantly changing the rules of the game?

Content creation is at an all-time high due to platforms such as Meta, TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, and the advent of new technologies such as NFTs has brought all kinds of challenges for IP lawyers when it comes to protecting your innovations or creations.
World Intellectual Property Day is an annual event that is celebrated on April 26. The theme of this year’s event was “IP and Youth:

CTTO: gamesradar.com

Comedian Amy Schumer called out for stealing a joke at Oscars, but says "I'm funny enough, I don’t need to steal shit."

Amy Schumer has been accused of plagiarizing a joke from Twitter for her Oscars opening speech.
In her monologue, Schumer said: "Leonardo DiCaprio, what can I say about him? He has done so much to fight climate change and leave behind a cleaner, greener planet for his girlfriends. Because he's older and they are younger. Okay, you get it.”
The joke triggered huge laughs in the audience. Howe

Image of Coinbase QR Code Super Bowl Ad

Advertising agency accuses Coinbase of idea theft

The US-based cryptocurrency exchange platform Coinbase’s 60-second super bowl ad was a massive hit, but it was accused of copying someone else’s idea without giving credit to the company that came up with the concept.
In February, the exchange aired a simple colorful QR code that floated on the screen for a minute which could be scanned to redeem $15 worth of free Bitcoin and a chance to win US

Photo by Jason Goodman on Unsplash

Singapore association launches guide to best practices in pitching

Here’s a subject close to the hearts of all innovators whose livelihoods depend on successfully pitching their original ideas to potential clients — what are some key guidelines that can make productive working relationships more likely?
To address this issue, the Association of Advertising and Marketing Singapore (AAMS) and global marketing consultancy R3 have developed a Pitch Best Practices

What creatives and IP lawyers need to learn about one another

What creatives and IP lawyers need to learn about one another

A partner and head of IP at TSMP Law Corporation, Adrian Tan brings a unique perspective to the field of IP law, since he first made his name as a creator of IP. As a young man in Singapore, he wrote the best-selling novels The Teenage Textbook and The Teenage Workbook. Through these early book deals, he began to understand intellectual property.


As a lawyer, Adrian now helps others pr

AI's strengths and limitations in IP protection

AI's strengths and limitations in IP protection

Artificial intelligence – and facial recognition technology in particular - has become an essential component of law enforcement due to its increased efficiency in identifying suspected criminals and missing persons using enhanced imaging data.


In this conversation, Jay Jhaveri – Managing Director, Asia-Pacific, of Captis Intelligence – discusses ongoing pace of rapid developments in AI

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Let your clients get the idea, without taking it.

PitchMark deters idea theft and provides you with options if it happens.

PitchMark protects the expression of your original concepts, designs, proposals, business plans, creative pitches, music - in short, any idea that you conceived and published, and claim as your own. It gives you peace-of-mind by signalling to whoever you share it with that you are its creator, and that you wish to be respected as such.

If you receive or evaluate ideas or pitches, join PitchMark as a sign of your commitment to respect the Intellectual Property rights of their creators. Attract more in-depth pitches from a wider range of sources. Highlight your PitchMark membership in your Sustainability or CSR Report.

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