Protect Your Intellectual Property: Myows Review
Everyone hates it when their work gets blatantly ripped off. Although it’s one thing to look to others for inspiration, it’s a completely different story when ideas get stolen lock, stock and barrel.
So what recourse are you left with when you find your intellectual property stolen? Your first reaction may drift towards baseball bat justice. But while baseball bats can be enjoyable, it rarely fixes the problem. Better yet, you can use a service like Myows to deal with cases of infringement.
What is Myows?
In a nutshell Myows (which stands for My Original Works) allows you to upload your work with the purpose of providing you with copyright evidence as well as a deterrence to prevent theft. Think of it as a way to establish your ownership by date stamping your work.
Your first inclination when faced with intellectual property theft may be – who cares? After all, you have a business to run and you can’t waste your time going after every Tom, Dick and Harry who wants to rip you off. Now that may be true of your feelings, how do your clients feel? One freelancer from FreelanceSwitch recently found out from his client that not only was their site design stolen, but their entire business model as well. So while it may only be a small annoyance to you, your clients may expect your assistance in protecting your work on their behalf.
What can I do with Myows?
The Myow’s website is simple and straightforward to use (although I did find it had some longer load times in IE8 and the Date of Birth field is marked as not required, although it clearly is required). After you sign up for a free account you are taken to an introduction page that will walk you through some of the features of the service.
Myows currently can be used to protect both files and text. After uploading the file you’ll be prompted to label, categorize and describe the file. The add category and add client links wouldn’t work for me in IE8, so that’s certainly something the Myows beta will have to look at.
Once you’ve completed that, your files with be stamped and your copyright established with Myows by the assignment of a unique hash value as tamper proof evidence linking the file to the date of upload. Apparently, not even the team at Myows can alter the date of upload of your files. Should you need to dispute a copyright infringement you’ll be able to use this record along with take down notices supplied by the site.
What’s not to like?
Myows currently feels like a stay at home police force. I can certainly see its benefits when it comes towards establishing your case for ownership, but you are still going to have to do the leg work in finding where your work is currently being stolen. There is talk of the site partnering with a service to take a more active role in discovering copyright infringement, and I think that would be a standout feature to include.
In addition, I found the site almost completely broken in IE8. Files couldn’t be labeled, files wouldn’t display, etc. I realize the site is still in beta so I’m sure these issues will be worked out in future updates.
Conclusion
Myows provides an easy to use service in establishing ownership of your work. The site currently in early beta so I expect to see more functionality as time goes on. As it is currently, the service is a nice starting point and with more polish it will really shine.
Myows Giveaway
If you’re interesting in trying it out, Myows is going to be giving away 1GB accounts (in place of 500MB) to the first 50 people who comment. Just leave your Myows username in your comment to enter.
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awesome concept.
So far I’ve registered for the service but haven’t taken the time to read through it all – something to add to the to-do list!
Username: kaigadesign
Willing to give it a try…score on the 1 GB
ah…the username: mihae
kaluhikaua
I signed up for myows after jarel’s review on web.appstorm. I’m really looking forward to using this service to help with copyright
My Myows Username: reapermedia
Sounds good.
Ooops. Username: Antony_256
This is really cool! I’ve been worried about my copyright for things i have made for a long time now !
My username: HSPSoftware
Never took the time to worry about copyrights and all that, but this seems to make it so simple that I have no excuse not to….
Thanks for the giveaway!
Username: ccschmitz
Nice article! I’ve been looking at MyOws for a while and wondering what it actually was so this was a good read. Just made an account – ‘thephuse’. Cheers!!
Great idea! I just created an account. 1gb might be too small for those of us that work with video, but I would mind paying for more storage space.
Username: Bearica
Looking forward to using this service. A great idea.
username: daraghoshea
Can’t wait to try this! Would like username to be: murdermystery
Great idea!
Username: atila
Very interesting, I think I’ll start using it right away, you never know, right?
My username: FGaona
Definitely I would like to get one of these
Hmm – very interesting – definitely something to look into.
I forget the name of the site that trawls the net looking for places that have copied your content – if they went hand in hand, that would indeed be awesome.
Could prove the creation of a customer design, a logo or everything else without the pain to use some other “traditional” services sound a very nice and goot thing.
Even a new way for prove an Original Work is an addede service to the customers.
Very nice and usefull idea
My username: michelerocco
Fantastic!!
Fantastic & Thank You!
username: somegirl
Amazing, that’s exactly what i’ve been looking for !!
My Username : crazy2death
I can definitely see where a service like this can provide us with a method to document our work. I will be checking this service out. Thanks for the review!
Ray
Definitely, I’ll take the upgrade.
Username: anygren
Am interested in learning more about this service and use it in the future. I wonder if you put freelance contracts on there if it puts a legal timestamp on those contracts?
My username: craigruks
i have only tried with one thing, but the video is a great understanging for the power of myows.
i will begin to use it more
username:ggarrastegui
The reviews I am seeing for Myows tend to focus on value for web designers. Perhaps because the reviews themselves are written by web designers. To be clear, Myows is for “Photographers, writers, designers, artists, journalists, bloggers – anybody who has created an original work and therefore has a copyright (owns intellectual property),” although I suspect video artists would find the space limitations problematic. Perhaps Myows could adopt a service sharing model — partner with content hosts, such as Flickr, YouTube, Vimeo, etc. so that uploaded content could get identified and date-stamped somehow by your Myows account without using up your Myows upload space.
Myows username: scott.bradley
Just signed up! User: Squarelogo
Yes please. This is great.
Username: tomoscrowle
Wow, this is really cool! I had no idea such a thing existed. After hearing some horror stories from around the net and seeing how many site designs get ripped off, I want an account!
Oops.
Myows User Name = josh_tuck
A nice kick-in-the-pants to bring me around to protecting my work … thanks for the review.
username: turkmandu
This couldn’t come at a better time for me. I have had an idea for a new kind of social networking site and was looking for a good way to protect it.
Forgot my username – papacino
It looks very interesting, starting to do a test run.
username: olbap
This sounds like a great service!
my myows username: belletristics
This is kinda nice to have a record in case something does happen. Signed up right away.
Username: pvalure
After seeing some Twitters about websites being totally ripped off I am very grateful you posted this info. I may only be working for the smaller end of the market but I would still be gutted if someone took my hard work.
username : baywebdesigns
This will be a nice way to put a claim on my drafts and concepts without having to get an actual copyright from the beginning.
username: hockeygator
Thanks for the link =)
Thank you for the review Travis.
In the two months we’ve been in Beta, no-one had mentioned the IE8 issues before you. We’ll need to address these asap. (And I’m going to need to install the Microsoft browser so I can test things thoroughly).
We’ll make sure it works smooth on IE7 and IE8 before going out of Beta.
Also, apologies about the Date of Birth confusion on the homepage, it is required
Thank you for pointing out these issues.
Max
No worries Max. Surfing in IE is like being a red-headed step child
I’m interested. Signed up last month and almost forgot about it!
username: azzcatdesign
Thanks!
Awesome – this should be a great resource for all of my projects. Thanks for the heads up!
Username: WLCox
Sounds interesting! I just signed to test it’s value…
username: krama
Interesting article! I just signed up – username: simplycreative
If I’m not to late I’m surely interested. Username: ignace
My Myows Username: bogeymin
Wow, this is a really interesting idea. Seems like it could be a resource for both developers and clients.
Wow, a great idea for a web application. I might need it in the future, meanwhile, this is my username: donnykurnia
Thanks for the free upgrade offer
it seems like a great idea
Username: odin1985
My Myows username: iodic
Thanks!
Great article! Signed up right away
Thanks!
username: unuidesign
This is awesome. Now I can rest assured that I have proof of my concept even before it gets out in the WWW.
Username: kgorsky
Wow! This looks really awesome, definitely gonna check it out and play around with it.
Username: coyoteNine
Sounds great and very interesting.
Username: jonathanb
Great review,
My Myows username: cideas
I’m interested! – username: perkybros
I am interested, I have signed up before but haven’t tried it yet because I don’t need it yet. But I know I will.
I first learned about this at themeforest, and now its nice to see reviews everywhere for them
My username is Finsta on Myows
I’m excited to give this a try.
username: fensonjeremy
My Myows username: percipio
Thanks!
Just signed up and now I’m gonna see how this holds up in the Netherlands. Gonna read the terms too now
Good lookin site and seems to work fine on my Mac in Firefox.
Username: Trumpetto
Nice article, I just signed up and I look forward to using their services!
username: serenia
great article, great dea!
my username: danhoward
This is something I probably need but neglect. Looks easy enough I have no reason not to!
username: eccoxile
Wow, this is fabo! Thank you for letting me know about this site and to Myows for the upgrade!
My Myows username: paula1849
Maybe not for strictly legal purposes only.
At minimum can be used to settle some minor disputes that arrise from time to time.
I’m signed up. User Name: lenocin
Awesome service! Which I had known about it sooner!
My username: elecite
Great service
User: Lolaso81
My Myows username is: zetrindade
Thanks for the link to the service, I can really use this.
Great idea!
User name: daw560
Welcoming!
user name: kiddurban
Thanks for this! This has been one of the articles that’s more useful to me at the moment (as opposed to a number which will be useful in the future).
username: jdpage
i recently had a major problem with a past client using my design for more than was intended in the contract. this could greatly help in the future for showing i have the copyright. thanks!
username: ellewoodward
Our photography department have an account over there. Works really well
Thanks for this article, very useful – and great idea, Myows!
My username: davehauser
Thank you all for your words of encouragements, I’m glad you’re enjoying the app.
I’m reading your suggestions with great interest.
Just in case enough people commented more than once or didn’t include usernames,
mine username would be: poetsespresso
This looks like a really promising web app. I’ve signed up and added an item or two.
Username: Japh
Sounds good.
Username: mijkal
Very nice. I will be looking into using your services.
Seems very interesting and promising. I’ve signed up.
i might be too late for the extra space, though, hope not …:)
username: yael.levin.design
Myows is a great idea.
username: dubalski
Too late…
However my ID is: riccardo
P.S.
Suggestion: give people the possibility to assign CreativeCommons licences to theys OWs, simply via a pop-up menu…
I like to try Myows
Hi Riccardo. Interesting suggestion about assigning the CC license during upload. I’ll look into it, but I don’t want to clutter the upload screen.
Currently, it will take you 2 extra clicks to attach your desired CC license.
Just signed up!
this application will really help me a lot especially of other sites rippin’ of some of my works
i hope i’m still in for the 1gb giveaway. thanks!
btw my username: mljarmin
i will try it soon. thanks
I have been thinking of ways how to handle for copyright or intellectual rights on the internet for some time now.
Thanks freelanceswitch for all the help you guys have been providing us!
username: bobb
Mmm, I hope I can make it
Username: Pasajero
Sounds like a great service!
username: davewasmer
I had never heard of Myows before today, but I think it’s a great idea. I haven’t had a chance to check it out, but it seems like a great start to intellectual property protection.
Great service and thank you FS for pointing it out. Can’t wait to use it.
Myows username: undrellm
I would like the 1 gig!
Oh well… I guess I’m a bit late with the comment. But still, this seems like a very good idea of a service. There should be more like it.
Thanks for posting
Great concept, and definitely useful. Copyrights are of course something we must all worry about but the time needed to fully protect ourselves is the downfall. Glad someone is doing something to combat that!
Username: mican
This concept sounds great. I really wish it were available before, lol. Would have saved me lots of headaches.
This is a great idea. Looking forward to using it!
Myows username: andrewrota
Thanks for the heads up, very good find.
Great article! Signed up right away!!!
Thanks!
My username: inox2
If you were 1 of the 50 first people to leave your username, your accounts will be upgraded in the next 24 hours. Thank you all for participating, I really welcome your suggestions.
Follow me on Twitter to find out early about future giveaways. ( @myows )
It’s about time there is such a service to protect the work of freelancers and their clients. Cheers to Myows!
Thanks Johnny!
I have been looking for this kind of service. Signing up right now!
I love this service, very useful!
username: jpoles1
Much needed and I consider this to be something to add to what we ourselves can include in a proposal.
Cheers…if the is stilll a chance,
Username: Yaco
I’m deeply excited. We’ve needed something like this for years.
Please award 1gb account to danieldigriz (my username)
Great article. Thanks for the information!
I’ve been waiting for something like this for awhile. Theft of art is always a possibility no matter what kind of digital art you produce.
As a 3D animation instructor I can also share the news of this site with my students.
Username: Locutus
I couldn’t find the following usernames in my DataBase:
Bearica
Squarelogo
ignace
perkybros
eccoxile
please contact me with your correct username so I can activate your upgrade.
Thank you.
Guess I am gonna give it a try!
Username : ahmad
Hi, Interesting app.
There is a usability problem during signup (date of birth) is not marked (*) as if it was a required field, but at sending a required field message appears.
[]’s
Jonathas Scott
I have been ripped off. It is not pretty, cheap or cool. It is painful to see big companies benefit from the soulful dreams and ideas of young and inspired designers. It is really a troubling ordeal which continues to happen. Ask any web based illustrator who has major web presence.
This is a killer concept. After I had been ripped off, I thought about the same concept. (really I did). My model took this once step further though, general legal counsel and consulting. In fact, if you were a user, you would be able to report a company/website which is infringing upon your concept and the company would initiate by sending out a cease and desist letter. Once that was implemented and the offender would not comply, my company would seek out legal help to assist in protecting the artists creation.
This model is simply supported by a network of artists needing to unify to protect their intellectual property, nothing to ever be taken lightly… ever! Problem is, lawyers are expensive, and this would need the assistance of one serious hired gun- a lawyer who deals with patents, intellectual property and what not…
And on another note, check out the movie “Flash of Genius” to see how going after a big company who has stolen your ideas can benefit you in the long haul!
Great concept.
I saw the trailer for the “Flash of Genius” movie. Definitely worth getting.
I’ve been ripped off recently by a client who didn’t pay for my work, copied it all I had uploaded to his site and got things finished off by an “amateur” saving himself some money. I was really pissed off. If I knew of a solution like this I could have pressured him.
good luck to you.:)
And keep the creative juice flowing.
Haven’t counted but going to give it a try…
PixelLoader
just wanted to inform my account has been upgraded to 1GB.
“Currently using 0 Bytes out of 1.0 GB available on your account or 0 %.”
thanks very much!
Ill take an extra 500mb!
username: mrlanrat
Thanks!
what a wonderful site!!! i’ve been ripped off on several occasions, including blatant rip offs, as well as good chunks of my design… it is nice to be protected! i don’t know if there is 50 comments yet but i would love and use all the extra space!
Yes, we’d like to give your service a try.
Excellent idea! I will happily start an account and use it.
My username is: gashlycrumb
Surely there’ve been 50 comments by now, but it’s worth a shot. So excited about this!
username: jenoaks
think i’m late to the party? but my username is brh. looks like a good, solid site…
If you want to actually gain from the IP that visitors copy from your site you may want to check out Tynt Insight at http://tynt.com . This free service adds links back to your site when that copied content is pasted. Plus, it lets you know what content on your site is copied most.
My Myows username: milan
And thank you
Fantastic!
i thought I’d let you know that we’re running an API challenge : http://myows.com/blog/4-step-api-challenge/ I would love your input to make Myows the perfect copyright management app.