Oh my gosh. This episode sounds so scandalous, and it kind of is! Typically, everything is super positive because I’m a very positive person. I always think nothing bad is going to happen to me. Maybe I’m a bit delusional, thinking these things only happen to other people. But in 2024, just three months into the year, it’s been a doozy. I had two very close friends have their courses copied, and I had my Facebook ads account hacked. So, let’s dive into the backstory and most importantly, how you can protect yourself as a course creator.

Copying Courses: The New Wild West

First, let’s talk about what defines the copying of courses. In today’s world with AI and ChatGPT, there’s something called master resell rights, where people are allowed to resell another person’s course. It’s like a whole new trend where people think it’s okay to repurpose other people’s materials. Remember how in school, we learned that if something was copyrighted, we had to cite it? Maybe they’re not teaching that anymore because now people think it’s okay to take a course and just remake it.

As a course creator, I want you to take what I teach and implement it in your life. I’ve taken hundreds of courses, learned from them, and then created my own strategies. But that’s not what happened to my two friends. They had their unique methodologies copied almost verbatim.

Friend A: She was part of an intimate mastermind program where she shared her unique method. Someone from the group saw her success and decided to copy it. The ads, the sales page, even the course content were nearly identical.

Friend B: This one is even worse. Someone bought her course, recorded their own course in just a month, and copied her steps, process, and even examples. It’s like they hit play on my friend’s course, then hit pause and recorded their own.

How to Protect Yourself

As a course creator, protecting your content is crucial. Here are some steps we discussed:

1. Terms and Conditions: Have them in place. If you’re on a budget, you can start with templates from Etsy, but as soon as you start making money, hire a lawyer to audit and customize them for you.
2. Email Terms and Conditions: After purchase, email these to your buyers to ensure they’re aware.
3. Module on Legal Terms: Include a module at the beginning of your course that states the legal implications and copyright status of your content.

We’re still figuring out more ways to protect our businesses because the digital online world is like the wild, wild west. But taking these steps can help safeguard your work.

Hacked Ads Account: My Personal Nightmare

Now, let’s talk about my Facebook ads account getting hacked. This is something I never thought would happen to me. They say, “new levels, new devils,” and this is definitely one of those devils. I was spending $1,000 to $1,500 a day on ads, and then everything came to a screeching halt. Here’s what happened:

I believe they got in through my cell phone. I had the Meta Ads app on my phone, and the actions they took looked like they were done from a mobile version. They couldn’t fully lock me out because they didn’t have my desktop login credentials. Here are some mistakes I made and tips to protect yourself:

1. Two-Factor Authentication: Ensure you have it set up not just with your phone number but also with an authenticator app. When I got a new phone, I didn’t set up the authenticator app again, which was a mistake.
2. Strong Passwords: Use unique, strong passwords for each account. Don’t use your dog’s name or something simple. Create random, complex passwords and change them every three months.
3. Avoid Free Wi-Fi: Be cautious when using free Wi-Fi. This could have been how they accessed my account.
4. Don’t Log in to Third-Party Apps with Facebook: Avoid using your Facebook login for other apps. This is another potential way they could have gotten in.
5. Malware Protection: Use something like Malwarebytes to scan your computer and phone for any malicious software.

Moving Forward and Staying Positive

Despite these setbacks, my friends and I are turning these negative situations into positives. For instance, I’ve been focusing on selling my mini courses organically and planning my next program. These challenges have pushed us to think creatively about how to make our businesses even stronger.

If you’re a new course creator, you might think this is the least of your worries. But protecting your work from the start is crucial. Take the time to ensure your terms and conditions are up to date, your accounts are secure, and you have proper malware protection. By doing this, you can protect what you’ve built or are building.

Stay strong, protect your work, and keep moving forward. Love you all, and have a wonderful day!