A topic I wanted to raise today is slightly different from my usual positive, up-beat topics/posts, and it all has to do with plagiarism- specifically online plagiarism. I’m talking about those unscrupulous people who copy and steal images and text from another website then claim it as their own, having no respect for the time and effort which has gone into producing that content. Frankly, it’s not just annoying, it’s illegal!
Sadly, it’s happening more and more in this industry. The funny thing is that in my case, it is clients, other reputable businesses as well as strangers who usually approach me to alert me that ‘Company x’ has been copying my work, taken slabs of text directly off the website, etc. etc. I’m just so grateful to these people for taking the time to let me know, as if they hadn’t done so, I probably would be none the wiser.
Some people don’t realize or appreciate the time and effort that goes into designing each invitation, styling and photographing it, editing it, and making it look good for the website, Likewise it’s the same with text- you spend a big chunk of time writing and editing it, only to find it taken and used by another business! Intellectual property theft and breaches of copyrighted material are an offence which we must work together to stop!
All I have to say to those ‘businesses’ who who regularly visit/ stalk my website (and that of others) with the intention of stealing, is…
Innovation not Imitation…
If you want to be a competitor in the industry, you have to be unique and special and bring something different to the table. What is the point of re-using material which is already out there which people have already seen and read before? The average bride and groom visits a good number of different websites before making their decision on which business to use, so they are the ones who are most likely to spot a copy-cat! This certainly doesn’t leave a very good impression about the trustworthiness of your business. If you are uncertain about what is considered as ‘plagiarism’, please read up on it at: www. plagiarism.org
Above all, be yourself and create something which reflects your own style and write something which conveys your own voice. That’s the way to succeed in the long run…
B Studio Wedding Invitations - Style Blog 