From Connection to Copyright

Recently I spoke with an IP lawyer about protecting brands and assets. It’s not a typical conversation that I have on a regular basis, but it got me thinking. In this world, we value originality. We value clever ideas and individuality. Not just in people, but in brands, companies, and giant corporations. We expect to be dazzled, to be presented with some level of creativity before we can truly appreciate someone or something. They must be different or present something in a way we had never thought of on our own. And whenever people or groups of people do something like this, they immediately have the urge to protect it. Inventors get patents. Brands get copyrights and trademarks. Even Taylor Swift gets protection for her lyrics. In our culture we must have recognition. We compare our talents and aspire to be people in the media, when really, at our core, we have the same potential. Timing is this annoyingly essential factor and acts as a dream killer at times. Whoever is first is the face attached to the industry whether it be singing, poetry, science, entrepreneurship, etc. We must say that we came up with it first, because the truth is, we are all so alike that someone else is bound to have the same thought that you did, just not necessarily at the same point in time. It’s quite thought-provoking how people find recognition through their ideas and thoughts, yet we are all capable of similar thoughts if we too go down synonymous paths. I’m not saying we aren’t all unique, we are. There are not two Taylor Swifts in the world, just like there is not another Natalie Bickel in the world. Yet, all of our thoughts and ideas come from our creator. We were meant to have similarities and lines of thought that tend to overlap because that creates connection. Still, we believe we must be seen as unique, brilliant, and innovative to stand out. I love how different we are, yet the same. Law aside, which I do think is important in the world we live in, I love that our creative ideas can build off of one another, that we are more similar than we think, and that we can connect uniquely while blending our thoughts together. All that to say, I just bought a copyright for my book because, of course, I want to protect my seemingly special written word from anyone else! ;)