Twice a week we publish problems that will feature in a forthcoming Dear Jeremy advice column in the Saturday Guardian so that readers can offer their own advice and suggestions. We then print the best of your comments alongside Jeremy’s own insights. Here is the latest dilemma – what are your thoughts?
Despite having a master’s degree from a top art school, industry experience and a portfolio of published (but mostly unpaid) work, my career is going nowhere. I am now in my late 20s and working on a zero hours contract covering admin roles in a media organisation where I have been pitching ideas and expressing an interest in working in various editorial departments.
My ideas and pitches have been picked up and used – but with no recognition or inclusion in the finished product for me.
Generally I pitch by email, which is then followed up by a meeting where I can elaborate. But I think I am shooting myself in the foot by giving away too much detail without any guarantees my work will be recognised.
How can I protect myself from being ripped off like this? Is it better to pitch the idea without giving away specifics, or to be very specific? My experience is that the company seems capable of worming out of its responsibilities whichever way I do it. There is no protection of intellectual property in the UK for ideas or concepts, only for the expression of those ideas or concepts. But who regulates these things? And how do I protect myself? (I have joined the Unite union.)
Do you need advice on a work issue? For Jeremy’s and readers’ help, send a brief email to dear.jeremy@theguardian.com. Please note that he is unable to answer questions of a legal nature or to reply personally.
