RESTORING AMERICA'S COOKIE JAR

America faces a very serious problem, both liberal and conservative alike, and it has nothing to deal with politics, the environment or economical plight; it is much more serious than anyone wishes to admit too or address. This writer is bold enough to address it and put certain individuals on notice at the same time – beware of dipping your hand into my cookie jar again.

What is the problem I am referring to that we as a nation must address? It’s the overwhelming infringement on another person’s intellectual property and copyrighted work! This problem is not limited to the writing profession, television and movie industry, corporate world, but reaches into the private sector too.

Every writer who has ever written anything throughout history is flattered when another writer utilizes their work. When a writer references or refers to another writers work, it gives value to their hard work and long hours of research. However, when certain people who have no creativity within their veins to create an idea or produce prose, feels it necessary to steal another individual’s creative ideas or published work, it shows the world you lack the ability to do your own research in order to produce a viable product. When an individual, writer, or reporter must cherry pick anothers work, or steal another’s intellectual ideas and claims them as their own; their not professional people, they're thieved. This type of behavior show’s the world a lack of integrity and character and says you shouldn’t be trusted.

Those who feel it necessary to infringe on another’s intellectual work fail to understand the history of America. Maybe they just don’t know the history behind why the founding fathers felt it essential to create the intellectual, copyright and patent laws; we hold sacred in this county. Allow me to give them a history lesson as a reminder.

Throughout the 1700s both Britain and Europe had a serious problem whereby inventions and creative works were being stolen or taken by those who held titles such as Count, Earl, Marquees. These men of nobility claimed works of intellectual property, inventions and innovative ideas created by others because they felt it was their right, based upon a title, to take ownership of said works. This caused great strain for those who tirelessly researched, created and worked to produce such writings and inventions, but they had no recourse to fight and lost their own work and inventions. These individuals might have retained their research material, but credit for their findings was stripped from them without any profit or fame.

When the founding fathers began laying out plans for their experiment of a new nation, they addressed the travesties befallen on those creative individuals whose work had been stolen by the nobility throughout Europe and Britain. Benjamin Franklin, a writer and inventor himself, brought before the Continental Congress the plight of his fellow writers and inventors from across the sea and requested a new law that protected their rights as creative individuals across America. While drafting up our new laws, our founding fathers included a strong intellectual property, copyright and patent law to ensure an individual's creative ideas were protected America became the promise land for creativity and inventive promises whereby making it attractive to new settlers who wished to be so creative and innovative to come to America. Their creativity can be seen throughout America today.

If it were not for this one law, America wouldn’t have prospered so quickly. This law made us stronger, more powerful and more attractive to the world as leaders in every field. It allowed for the freedom to produce writers of amazing books, poetry and screenplays. It protected inventions that have transformed the world of science, medicine and technology.

It is because of these laws that I as a professional writer, pride myself on doing my own extensive research before I produce an article. As a sign of respect for my fellow writer’s hard work, I give credit where credit is due because PROFESSIONAL RESPECT is a two “Way Street!” Unfortunately, there seems to be unprofessional individuals out there who lack respect of another’s work or the laws that protect a person’s intellectual property. The major culprits are those so-called writers who feel it necessary to cherry pick my work, then claim it as their own. When YOU write an article or produce any other creative work; you should give credit where credit is due - to the person who did the original hard work. By citing your source of information, you’re not only acknowledging a fellow writer’s work, you’re also giving respect to the other person’s endless hours of research.

What makes this country great is our intellectual property, copyright and patent laws, so respect these laws or don’t call yourself an inventor, writer or creative person.

For those who feel it necessary to cherry pick my intellectual property from the “Picasso – The Art of War” series, which clearly has a United States of America and International Copyright Clause at the bottom of each segment, understand this: I am the original source of this material, and I am the one who put the dots together. I am also the one who has the loyalty of the owner of this piece of artwork along with the supporting information contained therein. If you feel your liberal or conservative political cause outweighs professional responsibility and courtesy, you are gravely mistaken. Your profit and gain is not capitalism, its theft and infringement on my copyright and intellectual property. Either do your own research, or respect my hard work of endless hours of research in order to put the dots together and give credit accordingly.

This will be your only warning for the future because there is a ball-peen hammer ready to strike the next hand who dips into my cookie jar and steals my intellectual property or copyright material.