Lessons in Intellectual Property and Self-Trust with Plagiarism Expert Jonathan Bailey

My guest for Episode #289 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Jonathan Bailey, founder of PlagiarismToday.com. He’s also a Copyright and Plagiarism Consultant at CopyByte, with background and education in Journalism. 

Episode page with video, transcript, and more

He’s spoken at conferences worldwide, including four of the International Plagiarism Conferences, three SXSWi Conferences, and much more. He’s also been featured in countless publications, including The Boston Globe, The Guardian, PBS MediaShift, The New York Times, and the BBC, to name a few.

In today's episode, Jonathan discusses his journey as a leading voice in copyright and plagiarism consulting. He shares insights into the challenges of protecting intellectual property in the digital age, offering practical advice on addressing online plagiarism, copyright infringement, and related issues.

Jonathan reflects on a career-defining mistake where he made a fear-driven decision to take an exclusive job, which ultimately led him to realize the importance of betting on himself.

The conversation also spans topics such as effective ways to handle plagiarism, the role of proper attribution, and the differences between copyright and plagiarism, offering valuable lessons for content creators and businesses navigating intellectual property challenges.

Questions and Topics:

• What is your favorite mistake?
• What is your best definition of plagiarism in both academic and business contexts?
• How do you handle gray areas in plagiarism, such as overly close paraphrasing or using someone’s ideas without credit?
• What inspired you to start Plagiarism Today?
• What advice would you give to content creators dealing with websites that copy their work without permission?
• How does the DMCA process work for addressing online copyright infringement?
• What mistakes do people make in assuming online content (like photos or videos) is free to use?
• Can you explain the difference between “free” and “royalty-free” content?
• How can podcasters or creators avoid legal pitfalls when using music or other media?
• Are there connections between your haunted house work and intellectual property issues, such as using copyrighted characters?
• Why is copying and pasting content on platforms like LinkedIn or Threads a problem, even when attribution is provided?
• What steps can platforms like LinkedIn take to address copyright infringement?
• How should creators respond to claims that unauthorized use of their work is "helping give it exposure"?