Had a client push me to use their competitor's info in my report.

Robin Hunt · 2026-02-27T22:30:58.702076+00:00

They said it's just research, but it feels like stealing. How would you call it?

lisa5786mo ago

Call it competitive research, which is standard and not theft.

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craig.alex6mo ago

Is it even a big deal?

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jana_black6mo ago

A blog post from a business ethics professor last year really stuck with me. She wrote that if you're only using what's already public, like a price list on their website, you can call it insight gathering. But the second you use data that isn't meant for everyone, like a client list from a leaked document, you're crossing into theft. That line feels super important here. Are they asking you to use public info or something closed off? But where's your own work in that?

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ward.olivia6mo ago

Did they ask you to copy their actual data or just reference their methods? I was listening to a marketing podcast last week where they called that "competitive analysis," but the host said there's a big line between summarizing what's public and ripping off their proprietary work.

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