To ask if this is theft of intellectual property?

[LydiaBennetsUglyBonnet]

It probably isn’t but I’m so angry I can’t sleep.

Had a job interview in November. Didn’t get the job, which was fine. Big as part of the interview I had to give my ideas for a campaign, and they set out what they expected from the presentation. Spent ages doing an excellent presentation, really well thought out with a name, slogan everything. It was a Zoom interview and they asked me to send it beforehand and present on the day. Should have known really!

I’ve tonight seen my exact idea, right down to the campaign name and themes, on their social media page.

I do have a friend who worked in a STEM company who once said these things happened all the time to steal ideas but I didn’t think it was especially common.

AIBU to be fucking raging and to email them asking what on Earth they’re playing at? Or is this my own silly fault for sending a presentation without much thought?

The recruitment market is awful at the moment. I’m not in an area where this could happen but in general, despite the apparent crisis in recruitment, job hunting is awful. I’m wondering if companies just have people who are putting out ‘just in case’ adverts to test the water. I’ve applied for two jobs, neither replied at all (long long forms) and have re-advertised. Looking at the site they advertise the same job monthly, same advert. Often mixing up dates, for example this re-advertise gives the closing date as 18th December 2022. DH works in a related area and says he can’t remember at staff changing in years.

Just done an ip course abs agree with above.

If they took the exact logo you did and taglines, it's fairly cut and dried. You lose nothing by sending a polite email with your original document/email trail attached and asking for payment for use of your work at a reasonable amount. See what they say.

If it's a more vague idea they have used in a different way I'd not pursue it as it's hard to prove and of course costly.

I'm sure you won't anyway but please don't listen to the 'call them out on social media' crew.

That's a really unprofessional and immature way to manage this and people talk. You will be 'that' person in your city/industry.

Shout loud across social media - they'll have to prove slander/libel. You have the evidence to prove you created it, they don't.

You have no recourse at all

Nope, this looks completely wrong to me - what makes you so sure of this @C1N1C I'm happy to be proved wrong however.

My understanding is, if you are the creator of a work - artistic, literary, music, whatever, you still own the intellectual rights over it regardless of whether you share it in an open forum. This would surely apply to marketing slogans unless you are employed by/under contract by the company you're creating the work for. Only you, the creator of the work, can give permission to another party to allow them to reproduce it elsewhere. However, if she signed a contract with a clause in the small print signing over the rights then that's a different matter.

Also to add, you don't have to stipulate conditions about re-use of your work when you present it, the intellectual rights are automatic.

I would just send them an invoice.

If you did not sign away your IP rights during the HR process

And if you have the presentation in a written or drawn form

Find a solicitor.

This is very common in the freelance world, sadly.

If you have proof you came up with teh campaign before the interview you could write to the company asking for an invoice but don't get your hopes up.

I've also seen this happen, both in work myself and it's happened to my DH. Both occasions were also plans requested for interview purposes. So frustrating.

That's awful. I would email to ask where they want your invoice sent to.

Definitely don't do this if you want to have any credibility within your chosen field.

Please ignore this. It's the other way round in the US and some other places, but in the UK, you'd have to prove the allegation was true.

I have heard of this before, sadly so not uncommon.
I am not sure that even using a 'watermark' across images would prevent someone from copying. Not sure what the solution is.

It is awful. It happens often enough. I know people who’ve experienced similar then not gotten job. Job is either not been filled or someone cheap is hired and fired quickly.

Then the company has reached out via recruitment consultant to see if still interested. They’ve been politely told that they know the persons work and wouldn’t be providing any more plans/ presentations. CF expecting people to work for free.

Contact the company and say "I'm glad you used my idea, here is my invoice for £5K" (or appropriate amount for the work you did).

They do take the piss. My friend is a professional photographer and went to a job interview where she had to 'audition' by photographing several items for their catalogue. She didn't get the job (if there ever was a job on offer) but they used her photos anyway.

Thanks all.

Im actually SE at the moment so may just send them an invoice for £2k for the concept 😂 I won’t let it lie I’m so annoyed!! I do have the emails to prove the work came from me

It worked very well for Weebls recently versus Quorn

Good luck OP. If you are a member of the NUJ you can get free legal advice about things like this.
www.nuj.org.uk/join/who-can-join.html

Also, check your home contents insurance policy to see if it includes any kind of cover for legal advice. (Mine did and I didn't even know about it!)

Don't call them out on social media.

Send a professional letter saying you see they've used your concept and then invoice them for it.

This is a common way for people to seek consulting work without having to pay. I'm guessing they didn't actually hire anyone.

Tell her to invoice them!

Why do people let this slide.

@OP - if they don't pay up, think about whether it's worth paying a few hundred pounds for a solicitor to write them a letter of demand.

How very dare they.