Case Study Series

Introducing the Original Minds, Rightful Credit case studies series

Shedding Light on Intellectual Property Misappropriation in UK Research and Innovation

We are proud to announce the launch of the Original Minds, Rightful Credit case study series — the next step in our campaign to expose the widespread, yet underreported issue of intellectual property theft, research plagiarism, and misattribution in the UK’s science, design, technology, and innovation sectors.

This new series builds on the momentum of our open letter, released in February 2025, which called on researchers, engineers, designers, and innovators to share their stories and participate in our national survey. The aim? To quantify and better understand how often original work is misappropriated — and the real impact this has on individuals and on progress across our sectors.

In our first case study, a UK-based Research Fellow recounts how her original conceptual contribution was taken by a senior colleague to secure a multi-million-pound grant. She received no credit, was excluded from collaboration, and gave no consent. The incident not only blocked her professional opportunities but deeply eroded trust, collaboration, and morale — key pillars of any healthy innovation ecosystem.

Sadly, her story is not unique. Throughout history, pioneering work — like that of Ada Lovelace — has been misattributed, diminished, or overlooked entirely. Today, in an era shaped by rapid technological advancement and growing dependence on AI, the risk of idea theft has only increased. Yet, the scale of the problem remains largely undocumented.

The Original Minds, Rightful Credit campaign aims to change that. We are currently collecting evidence through a UK-wide survey and are publishing anonymised case studies to amplify the voices of those affected. By doing so, we seek to:

• Raise awareness of intellectual property misappropriation in academia and industry.

• Quantify its impact on individuals, communities of research and practice, and more.

• Inform policy and cultural change across institutions, funding bodies, and research communities.

We invite participation from:

• Researchers and postgraduate students in STEM, design, and innovation.

• Professionals in academia, public research, private sector, and non-governmental organisations.

• Individuals from underrepresented backgrounds, including women, ethnic minorities, and working-class researchers.

• Experts and stakeholders in funding, investment, and IP protection.

If you’ve experienced plagiarism or the misattribution of your work, your voice matters. We encourage you to complete our anonymous survey and, if you’re comfortable, share your story to be featured in future case studies.

Take the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/D2Z5FXH

Share your story or enquire: contact@rightfulcredit.com

We also extend a warm invitation to universities, research institutions, and companies to support this campaign. Your backing can help amplify affected voices, foster accountability, and build a future where original minds receive rightful credit.

Find out more about our campaign here: https://originalmindsrightfulcredit.com