The initiative denounces the improper appropriation of proposals in contests and demands clear rules to protect intellectual property in the creative sector.
In the advertising sector, an idea is not a gift: it is the property of whoever creates it. This is the premise behind the #FairContests campaign, which seeks to highlight and curb an increasingly widespread practice in creativity contests: the use of non-winning ideas without consent or compensation. This appropriation, far from being an “inspiration”, erodes trust between agencies and advertisers and precarious an industry that thrives on talent and innovation.
The platform reminds us that behind every proposal there is time, strategy, research, design, and production, work that deserves to be respected and, if used, remunerated. To this end, it proposes simple and necessary measures such as transparent clauses in the rules, fair financial compensation, recognition of the author, and express consent before reusing an idea.
From #FairContests, they warn that tolerating these bad practices not only demotivates creative teams, but also jeopardizes talent retention in the industry, which is increasingly tempted by other sectors that do value intellectual property. The initiative invites advertisers, agencies, and institutions to unite under a basic rule: if you want to use an idea, agree on its use and pay for it. Only in this way will ethical and sustainable competition be guaranteed for the future of communication.
