11 Ways To Secure Your Intellectual Property Online courses
Editor's note: the content is solely for informational use. Consult a licensed lawyer before basing your decisions solely on the suggestions provided in the article.
Content. Content is the heart of any information and education-based business. It shows the world the expertise of your company, lends your company a name and helps generate your business revenue. Naturally, it is worthy of protection.
How do you ensure the protection of the intellectual property (IP) particularly in light of the realities of the internet's "sharing economy'? Even Hollywood, with their top-of-the-line lawyers, cannot control illicit downloads or file sharing, as well as piracy, how can you keep your IP safe as a course or content creator?
The realities of the web:
Even with all of today's technological advancements, we are unable to fully protect our IP. If it goes online, it's at risk of being copied, stolen or even accessed by those that haven't paid. This is a proven fact. If anyone really wants to get their hands on it, they will.
If your IP is used to harm you, in a competitive method, then you have to take action in this issue. If somebody is using your identity, content, IP, or even name to steal money from of your business, you must call in the legal experts immediately.
While reacting appropriately to having your personal information stolen is excellent and great, setting safeguards is far better.
1. Get a Trademark
If you really are concerned regarding the security of your IP, then it may be worth you considering getting the Trademark. It's not suitable for every firm, and it's expensive too. However, I would recommend talking to a trademark attorney and asking their advice about what your options might be.
2. Send your printed content to yourself
Simply print out your whole program, which includes the lessons plans, curriculum and content; then mail your copy to yourself with tracking as well as recorded delivery. Then, never ever open it. If someone ever copied the content you created and took it to court to resolve the issue You have the current proof of the date your information was made and also the amount of time it's been in existence for. Simple, yet effective.
3. Time stamp your content
If you are sharing the internet, you should remember that , if you share your content publically, it is evidence that you posted it first! Every blog post includes the date "published" on it. Every YouTube video, status updates, as well as live stream videos show the original post date too. If an identical piece of content comes out following the publication of your original the obvious question is who got it from who.
4. Show your face
5. Watermark your content
Check that your company's name and/or your web address's URL or watermark are displayed in your videos for training and other documents. That way, if your material has been used illegally but it still has your name, face and website on the document, you receives the praise or credit from fans, as well as any business that might result from someone watching that content.
Here's an example of watermarks I've put on one of my YouTube videos:
6. It should be common knowledge
If you own a'saying or a method an approach, a method or anything that you think is personal, don't think about how you can wrap the thing up and secure it. Instead, you should find an approach to make it appear so massive and personal to you, regardless of where or what it's being used for, everybody knows that you own it. Use it on every video, on every blog post, on your site, in your email signature, every interview you do and wherever you are be seen in the media. It should be a clear statement of your own However, allow it to be a part of anyone who wants to associate themselves in it. After all, that's what you do to create a community.
This is precisely how and the reason I came up with the term ' Edupreneurs' and defined the term ' Edupreneurship'. I wanted to become an unquestionably leader in some thing, however I wanted to do it in a way that I can give something away for people to take on as their own - an identity they can call their own, yet remains with me as the person who was responsible for birthing it.
7. Be on the lookout for similar Content
Just keep an eye of your items. I make use of Google Alerts which is an absolutely free Google tool which allows you to input various keywords, including your name, as well as certain words and phrases that you are using. After you have set it up, Google will email you when those phrases or words are published online - then you are able to check them out and determine whether you've copied or referenced correctly, or if it's simply a random coincidence.
Additionally, you can use plagiarism checkers to see whether your writing has been duplicated anywhere. There are lots out there However, one that is worth mentioning Copyscape in which you can insert the URL of the blog you have written, for example the post, and Copyscape will scan the web for matching material.
8. Do you have a Copyright Policy
It is possible to create your own rules to in educating public on what's allowed and what's not when it comes in relation to IP. Although this won't necessarily protect you legally, the education could help people who want to reference you fairly and correctly. Simply write up a very precise list of things you think is acceptable when it comes to referencing you, using your content as well as sharing it or reproducing it, and what is not ok. Set them up with some guidelines as to the types of things they would need to ask your permission for and what they can do without having to ask to be granted written permission.
Consider adding a copyright symbol ((c)) or disclaimer on your content. Although it doesn't offer extra protection it can make people take a second look before reproducing it.
9. Create a course that is truly useful to only one individual
10. If you hold it back If you do not, you're the one who stole it.
It's easy to slip into defensive mode to safeguard our intellectual property and store it in an inaccessible knowledge dungeon in a safe place from pinchers'. Don't be afraid to share the entirety of your knowledge, and stop all of your millions of potential customers from hearing it, just so that a small handful of customers don't understand the information. There is a certain madness that lies in this.
We can become so obsessed in defending ourselves that we forget about those that we're trying help by producing courses in the first place and then'stealing' the chance to educate them. Which is more damaging? thousands of people who have their lives altered by your content with some individuals acquiring it "on the black market', or not getting any assistance even once?
11. Never forget, no one can be you
The best thing about being human is that there are so many different ways to be. People can copy our words or our writing, concepts and services however they cannot be us.
People don't buy stuff, they purchase people. Because people like people. How we talk our words, how we dress, the tone of our voice, how we carry our bodies, who we don't or don't think of reminding people of, the way they feel when we use our non-verbal communications and more of the subconscious subtleties which are the real reason behind every purchasing decision that we make are all aspects that will be never taken away from us no matter how much effort someone put into it.
I'm fully aware of the reality that regardless of my increasing competition every day as well as the number of other people who are trying to take some of my market with my own content, they will not be me. This means that they won't ever become an issue.
You are the largest trademark for your IP, and while it is important to be vigilant, don't let the fear of having your IP copied be a barrier to you changing the lives of others.
Sarah Cordiner is an education expert, author, speaker and trainer. She is also an award-winning creator of online courses and the CEO of Main Training. After 11 years of business within the educational sector and more than 5,000 students across more than 121 countries, Sarah encapsulates a mesmerizing marriage of entrepreneurship and education as the world-renowned leader for EDUpreneur in 'profitably educating your marketplace'.