how do you protect your portfolio? or prevent someone from taking or using your ideas?
or can you?
A good start would be to have lots of money and don’t show it to anyone in the first place.
Though seriously, you could get them to sign a NOD (Non disclosure Agreement) if you were really worried. But if they rip off your idea you need to have money to protect your idea. There is groups like ACID (http://www.acid.uk.com/) who offer you services for a fee and specialist lawyers like Briffa (http://www.briffa.com/) who specialise in intellectual property (IP)
Are you a fairly young designer? I wouldn’t be overprotective of your portfolio pieces, your portfolio is to help you get a job and show your skills. Though saying this if your idea is patentable and you want to market the idea don’t show it lots of people.
And if your a good designer I’m sure you can come up with many more good ideas…in the end your employed for your ideas
Ideas are cheap, implementation is expensive. If your idea is good enough to spend millions of dollars to tool up, manufacture, ship, and distribute, they will take the time to pay you a few g’s. Chances are though that someone else had already thought of your exact idea if not a similar variation. It’s all about follow through.
You don’t.