<br>Every social media savvy Nigerian knows Linda Ikeji, or ought to know her, and it is almost difficult to have a conversation centred on online media in Nigeria without her name popping up, one method or another.By embodying that famous Nigerian can-do mindset, ex-model Linda succeeded in making her name a referral point whenever people in Nigeria consider an effective news website. For this lady from humble beginnings, starting a blog when her modelling career began to wind down was something to do, for the love of it, never ever for cash. This was some 6+ years back. Now, with many of the better-known corporate organisations in Nigeria vying for advert space on her blog, Linda’s enthusiasm has actually turned her into Nigeria’s premier blog writer, and richest, by far.Over the years, Linda has set trends, affected government policy and offered Nigerians lots of things to speak about. Fearing what a negative exposé on her blog would do their image or careers, stars of all kinds gravitated to her, and Linda, whose modelling career would never be stated to be that high flying, became a celeb, and got to rub shoulders with those who claim ownership of the glitzy world of glamour.<br>
<br>Maintaining a humble mien, Linda, initially, didn’t appear to care much about all the glamour, but she did remember how far she had come and never ever failed to tell the world how she moved from not having a thousand Naira in her savings account a few years ago to getting to where she is today: all from having and regularly publishing on her simple style blogspot site, from the convenience of her bedroom.As part of an interview panel a couple of weeks ago, I heard interviewees gush about how much they admire Linda’s work principles and her ability to capture and own a sector. ‘She’s so good, she makes her blogging appear like chatting with your pals,’ one amazing aspiring author gushed when asked what she thinks is the Linda Ikeji magic. I agreed with her. I believe Linda Ikeji is extraordinary, in her consistency. As somebody who desires the author tag, I know direct how difficult staying on track is.Advertisement<br>
<br>Some weeks back, Linda published that she had gotten a brand new Range Rover 4X4 and social media went abuzz. Many people wondered if costs 24 million on one automobile makes good sense, particularly if you currently have two excellent automobiles in a country where (as the IMF can’t stop telling the world) the typical individual subsists on less than a dollar a day. However, there were those who felt it was a great relocation: a grand announcement that the blog writer had actually joined the world of the extremely rich.Linda Ikeji flaunts her wheels. Photo: Linda Ikeji’s Blog<br>
<br>Perhaps it was the interest generated by the purchase, but Nigerian social media remains abuzz. Not with the news of the very vehicle, however around something that has dodged the lady’s heels for many years: the question of what lots of see as her widespread plagiarism.Now, you ‘d need to go to Linda’s blog site to much better understand her design, however the fact is that, usually, beyond the 2 liners she adds, she can’t claim ownership to the majority of the material. In the new age of very quick breaking news and millions of personal blogs, copying and pasting is becoming more widespread and, in places such as Nigeria, is mistakenly being perceived as the norm.As quickly as the twitter furore over Linda’s current use of somebody’s product without attribution or permission began on October 4 2014, a lot of people quickly got on her case.22/ 32 Despite making 10s of thousands of US$ on a monthly basis from her site, @LindaIkeji selects to willfully neglect ALL copyright holders,- Mr. Aye Dee (@MrAyeDee) October 5, 2014
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<br>Linda Ikeji steals posts and is called successful. If you call her out, it’s beef. This is why politicians take our wealth & are hailed.- Ikenna Ronald Nzimora (@ronaldnzimora) October 5, 2014
https://twitter.com/sugabelly/status/518772004540153856But, Linda is not without her fans: I don’t believe in ‘haters’. I don’t think it’s hating. I simply think it’s a refusal to accept her authenticity. But it is there, strong.- Chude Jideonwo (@Chude) October 4, 2014Advertisement<br>
<br>Leave Linda Ikeji alone. Start your own blog. Run it the method you desire. Then buy your own Range Rover.- Ohimai Amaize (@MrFixNigeria) October 4, 2014
When all is said and done, the reality will remain as glaring as it is basic: The internet is seriously the existing copyright laws and the sheer number of infringements makes most efforts at persecution an extremely tall order. However, the fact also mentions rights and wrongs: Stealing someone’s intellectual residential or commercial property is incorrect and earning a profit out of it is even worse.As I have actually said previously, most content owners are OK with others utilizing part of their work (with attribution and a link back to the initial source) but are dissatisfied with the copy and paste journalists who believe it is reasonable play to occupy their websites with contents that are the fruit of somebody’s intense labour.Advertisement<br>
<br>I won’t claim to be saintish. Nobody is. And I make certain there are numerous ways to excuse Linda’s alleged transgressions, however those excuses pale in the light of the oft-repeated assertion that she overlooks people who try to contact her when she infringes on their copyright.That’s too bad. For somebody who is an inspiration to lots of young individuals here, she requires to know that there is marked difference in between a news release and an IP. For a news release, most content owners will be delighted that it is being reposted throughout the web. As an incentive and role model, Linda needs to start teaching those who appreciate her that a piece like the one you’re checking out, as unappealing as it may appear, is someone’s child and like a lot of children, you need to ask the parent for consent before you take them on a trip away from home. And after, let me know where my baby is and how far she’s taken a trip by sending out a message back home, with a track back.She requires to show that beyond the buzz, she can up her video game and set the right sort of requirements.<br>