When People Steal Your Ideas

Have you been bothered or hurt by someone has stolen your business idea? In this episode, I address this topic and invite you to think of it differently… for your benefit. If you think your design or idea is unique, then you’re kidding yourself. Now obviously there are certain situations when trademarks, brands, logos, etc are stolen that are legally not right … but beyond that, our ideas are repurposed old ideas. We get inspiration from all that is around us. As Picasso said, “Art is theft”. That all may sound a little harsh, but I explain why the “that idea was mine” way of thinking really hurts the creative and your business, rather than helps.

In this episode Elizabeth gives insight on:

• Examples of “idea stealing’ in the quilting industry
• I share how this mindset of “that was my idea, they cant do that” is actually hurting creatives and in turn business.
• The number one fear I hear in my Quilt Pattern Writing Course is that someone will come after them for taking their ideas. They aren’t trying to take others ideas, but odds are, there is something out there that is similar. 
• Elizabeth talks about copy-write and what is actually copy-writable. 
• Allow people to create and don’t waste your time and effort on watching your competition, finding what is similar and thinking that they stole that idea from you. The odds are, the didn’t. This doesn’t serve you. 
• However, there are legitimate and legal things that you can politely stand your own ground on. Elizabeth talks about those situations. 
• If you create soemthing and make it public, people can take it and run with it. It is in all of our best interest for people and companies to take things and to make them better. Expect that people will copy you…but worry more about your customers and how you can provide great products and services and beat them into irrelevance. Competition in the industry serves the world.
• Here is the best advice- STOP following your competitors. You can legitimately say you didn’t get ideas from them and it following them is just not going to make you feel good. It is a waste of time and energy that you can be putting into your own work improvements and customers. 
• Just give yourself liberty to create and come up with your own ideas!