Get Over Your Obsession with Your IP & Build a Community

Is intellectual property ("IP") the only "product" we create now in America?  Before I get a barrage of emails from US manufacturers, that is a rhetorical question. I ask it primarily to get your attention and because sometimes I feel the focus on IP and its value is extreme. I suspect this is because people don't truly understand it. So, they "err on the side of caution" and preclude others from using anything they think is "theirs." It may be a color, a shape, a word, or an idea. It may even be something that the alleged owner blasted via email. 

An author I know recently hit me with such a preclusion. I used to subscribe to her email newsletter because I thought she had good business insight that might be valuable to my clients. I have promoted her openly and at no charge for several months. I have even given her books as gifts at times. Needless to say, she has gotten a lot more value from me than the $15.00 or so I spent on her book. That's why I was surprised to see her request to remove my blog posts referencing her book and newsletter. I included links to her website, her book and her contact information, intending to help her drive more traffic. I mistakenly thought she, too, was a believer in the power of collaboration and connection. 

I am saddened by her attitude, but I again chalk this up to misunderstanding of IP law. I presume she believes I have plagiarized her work and worries this somehow reduces the value of her purported IP. She apparently forgot her days of writing term papers and why we use citations in our writing. Still, considering the bulk of bad information in the world, I can understand. I will follow The Four Agreements and take nothing personally. (By the way, Don Miguel Ruiz, I hope you don't mind me referencing your book and promoting you FOR FREE.) 

In short, if you're obsessing over excluding others from sharing your work with potential customers you might not otherwise reach, perhaps you should reconsider. Exclusivity excludes, and you may exclude someone who would otherwise be among your greatest fans and advertisers. I know one author who has lost me.

Comments

[Ria Moore Benedict]

I had a similar situation happen to me and it is unfortunate when there is an abundance of everything to go around and we are ultimately here to help and connect with each other. One reason for such a response is personal insecurities. Such actions reflect where that person is in his or her life and have nothing to do with you as an individual. I, for one, am grateful when someone else talks about me to others or promotes my business. I feel a great sense of community and sisterhood when I know I have my women friends supporting me. Therefore, I thank you and other women who believe in working together to create abundance for everyone. Cheers!

Ria Benedict
I-LOVE-ME, LLC

www.ilovemecollection.com
--Be loving, happy, yourself, free.

[Katie]

This is an interesting one, because a blogger, I do value my content and do want to hang on to it for SEO value. I have always felt that if content is totally replicated on another blog, that it then competes against my own content in the search engines. I do understand snippets, and I do use them, and cite and link to the website from where I pulled the snippet - as I know you do. I might be alone in this, as I know a big SEO expert does allow others to republish her articles. But I still don't get why. And again, I'm only saying this from an SEO (search engine optimization) point of view. I know you are very good at promoting and linking to others.

My pet peeve is when designers don't allow people to post pictures of their stuff - to promote it. An organization I was working with was selling a necklace, and I asked if we could use the photos from the designer's website. She said "I'll allow you to use our product shots." What? This organization was selling her things, expanding her reach - she can't lend a photo? But I've seen other blogger/designers who have a statement on their website stating to not use product photos. From a hotlinking point of view, I get this. It uses bandwith. But if I upload it to my own server...

But as a blogger, I'm always sad when I can't post pictures. Anyway, that's my 2 cents on this topic. Your posts are always great.