HOw similar does a proposal be to be classes as a breach of copyright

gemma_neale

hi, about a year ago i left my emplyor to work for myself due to the commision and salary being dropped below a manageble amount to cover my living expenses. I have not solicited any clients but my old company have got hold of a copy of my proposal that i used. It is worded differently in the majority of sections but is in a very similar format, how similar does it have to ve to be classsed as a breach of there copyright. I am also going through an IVA to help try and sort out my debt problems, i have very little money and my fiance is on job seekers allowance. would i be eligible for legal aid in this case.

any help or experiences would be appreciated.

thanks

LinasPilibaitisisbatman

The product of your work whilst a paid employee will have been available for your employer to use as they see fit.

You don't give much detail so its possible it falls into an area were its slightly different but I think its unlikely.

Debt_Free_Chick

I'm not sure I understand ..... Your old company have the proposal that you are using to get work in your own business and .....?

What are they saying? That you've copied it or large parts of it from something the company uses or used in the past? If so, is that true - did you?

gemma_neale

hi, thanks for the responses and sorry I didnt make myself clear. With regard to the proposal, i left my old employer and set up my own business in the same sector offering the same services. one of my clients gave me a copy of the proposal used by my old company and I re-worded it and edited it around our specific processes but it is simlar in portions and in a very similar format throughout. I have used different header titles and explained the services differently but they are saying i have breached there copywright and I wondered how similar a proposal would need to be to be classed as a breach of copywright.

hope that helps and any advice would be greatley appreciated.

thanks

gemma_neale

hi, thanks for the reply and sorry i wasdnt clear. I gained a copy of my old employers proposal through one of my clients and re-worded it and edited it around my services. we offer the same services so it is very similar in parts and in a similar layout throughout. all tho the subject headers and wording within the different sections are different, there are similarities because of the layout etc, i have since had proposals from other companies and they geenrally seem to all follow a similar layout but I wondered how similar they needed to be to be classed as a breach of copywright.

JimmyTheWig

I don't know the answer, but what do _you_ think?

What if the tables were turned?

If you had written the original one from scratch for your new business and then someone down the road got hold of it and started up a business with an ammended version (i.e. the one you are now using) would you feel hard done by?