Ask Do freelance platforms protect you if a client steals your proposal idea without hiring you?

[Brendan]

This is one of the most frustrating things that can happen to a freelancer, and it happens more than people admit. You write a detailed proposal with a clear plan, and the client either disappears or hires someone else using your exact approach. Most platforms do not have a formal mechanism to protect proposal ideas since they are not treated as intellectual property under the terms. Have you ever felt that a client used your ideas from a proposal without giving you the job or any credit?