Pitch protection is a crucial aspect of agency-client relationships, helping agencies maintain their competitive edge, protect their intellectual property, and ensure fair compensation for their creative work. It contributes to a healthy and sustainable agency-client ecosystem.

Agencies often invest a significant amount of time and resources in developing creative concepts, strategies, and campaigns for potential clients. Pitch protection helps safeguard their intellectual property, preventing clients from using their ideas without compensation or consent.

Agencies run the risk that clients they pitch their ideas to could potentially steal their ideas without entering a formal contract or providing compensation. This risk is one of the primary reasons why pitch protection measures are important in the agency-client relationship.

Proving that a client stole an agency’s pitch idea can indeed be a complex and evidentiary matter. To establish a case of idea theft, the agency would typically need to provide sufficient evidence to demonstrate that their intellectual property or creative work was used without permission or proper compensation. Here are some key considerations when it comes to proving such a claim:

1. Documentation: Clear and comprehensive documentation is crucial. This includes records of all communications between the agency and the client, including emails, meeting notes, presentation materials, and any agreements or contracts signed.

2. Date and Time Stamps: Documentation should include date and time stamps to establish a timeline of events and demonstrate that the agency’s ideas were presented before the client allegedly used them.

3. Witnesses: If there were witnesses present during the pitch or discussions related to the idea, their testimonies can provide valuable evidence.

4. IAN PITCH FORM: Completing the pitch form and submitting it to IAN, will assist in providing independent verification that the idea was generated by the agency prior to pitching to the client. The form will be dated and time-stamped on the IAN receipt side and will provide independent verification in the event of a dispute.

Should a dispute arise, IAN will provide the Agency with an Affidavit of confirmation that the Pitch Form was received on a designated time and date.

Kindly complete the pitch form and email it to the following email address:

Email: pitch@ianetwork.co.za