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Using Other People's Ideas/Concepts Without Getting Sued

by toddperk
9 replies
Hey Warriors,

I'm in the process of creating a product and have a quick question...

I've studied from some of the bigger names in the business (Frank Kern, Ryan Deiss, Perry Belcher, Keith Wellman, etc.)

In some of their products they will teach a concept and then state something like this: "I learned this stuff from my good buddy Jeff Walker from ProductLaunchFormula.com...he's really the expert when it comes to this stuff...but that gives you an idea of how it works."

So my question is...In my own product, can I use some of their concepts/ideas as well and then give them credit without getting in trouble? I wouldn't teach their stuff word for word, I would just grab the concept and put it all into my own words and then give them credit in the end (sorta like citing a paper in school)...

I'm sure it'd be difficult for me to contact these people personally to ask them for permission...

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
-Todd
#ideas or concepts #people #sued
  • Profile picture of the author Rob Thayer
    As long as you're not plagiarizing their work, you can basically regurgitate their concepts without even giving them credit. Of course it's classy to do so.

    If you were to read a book about fishing that you got out of the library and use that knowledge to write your own book about fishing, there would be no problem with that. Same principle applies here.

    The problem I have with it is that you're not really offering anything new unless you put your own spin on it somehow. If I bought a Perry Belcher product and then bought yours and got nothing new from it, I would probably ask for a refund.
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    • Profile picture of the author toddperk
      Thanks for the great advice Rob. That helps a lot!

      I'll definitely try to mesh it all together into an easy-to-follow course with my own spin on it. The main reason I've studied from all of those different guys is so I can see what they are all doing in common...that show me what is really working.

      However, I'll definitely make sure I have my own powerful marketing hook/story.



      Originally Posted by Rob Thayer View Post

      As long as you're not plagiarizing their work, you can basically regurgitate their concepts without even giving them credit. Of course it's classy to do so.

      If you were to read a book about fishing that you got out of the library and use that knowledge to write your own book about fishing, there would be no problem with that. Same principle applies here.

      The problem I have with it is that you're not really offering anything new unless you put your own spin on it somehow. If I bought a Perry Belcher product and then bought yours and got nothing new from it, I would probably ask for a refund.
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      • Profile picture of the author Rob Thayer
        Originally Posted by toddperk View Post

        The main reason I've studied from all of those different guys is so I can see what they are all doing in common...that show me what is really working.
        Have you actually tried the techniques and found that they do indeed work? My experience has been that the formulas given in most ebooks either DON'T work or at least they don't work anymore because things change so quickly. I secretly think that this is why most ebooks come to be... because the author knows that his profitable system is on the verge of becoming unprofitable.

        Please don't create an infoproduct using a system you haven't personally tried, tested, and had some success with. There are too many of those floating around. But if you were able to take something you found in another ebook (or whatever) and were able to improve on somehow, then more power to you.
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        • Profile picture of the author toddperk
          Rob,
          Good question to ask. I'm making sure that everything in my product will be something that I've tested.

          My main marketing hook will show exactly (step by step) how I have netted $16,000 in my 1st 7 months in Internet Marketing and how I built a list of 5,000 targeted double opt-ins while still having a full-time job.

          The main reason I made that money was because of the ideas I learned from those Internet Marketing gurus.

          I'll also be covering other stuff that I've studied that I am currently putting into action (and seeing results)...so I'll make sure none of my stuff is out-dated and it's stuff I am currently applying to my own business.

          Hope that answers your question/concern.

          Regards,
          Todd


          Originally Posted by Rob Thayer View Post

          Have you actually tried the techniques and found that they do indeed work? My experience has been that the formulas given in most ebooks either DON'T work or at least they don't work anymore because things change so quickly. I secretly think that this is why most ebooks come to be... because the author knows that his profitable system is on the verge of becoming unprofitable.

          Please don't create an infoproduct using a system you haven't personally tried, tested, and had some success with. There are too many of those floating around. But if you were able to take something you found in another ebook (or whatever) and were able to improve on somehow, then more power to you.
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  • Profile picture of the author mr2monster
    Originally Posted by toddperk View Post

    Hey Warriors,

    I'm in the process of creating a product and have a quick question...

    I've studied from some of the bigger names in the business (Frank Kern, Ryan Deiss, Perry Belcher, Keith Wellman, etc.)

    In some of their products they will teach a concept and then state something like this: "I learned this stuff from my good buddy Jeff Walker from ProductLaunchFormula.com...he's really the expert when it comes to this stuff...but that gives you an idea of how it works."

    So my question is...In my own product, can I use some of their concepts/ideas as well and then give them credit without getting in trouble? I wouldn't teach their stuff word for word, I would just grab the concept and put it all into my own words and then give them credit in the end (sorta like citing a paper in school)...

    I'm sure it'd be difficult for me to contact these people personally to ask them for permission...

    Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

    Thanks!
    -Todd

    If you pay close attention, many times when a person says something like that and then tells you where you can learn more about it, it's an affiliate promotion.

    Perry Belcher does it all the time. In fact it's one of his big ways to promote affiliate products through social media.
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    • Profile picture of the author toddperk
      hehe good point James.

      Why those sneaky little.........!

      Sneaky, but brilliant.

      Originally Posted by mr2monster View Post

      If you pay close attention, many times when a person says something like that and then tells you where you can learn more about it, it's an affiliate promotion.

      Perry Belcher does it all the time. In fact it's one of his big ways to promote affiliate products through social media.
      Signature

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  • Profile picture of the author Emily Meeks
    I wouldn't worry about it too much. Think about it like writing a paper in college - you research, you rewrite, you give credit (and in this case, you don't always even need to do that).

    Probably the best tip I can give is to personalize it. Don't just share the technique - tell me exactly how testing went and what benefit (or lack thereof) it did for you. Anybody can write a manual - but making it uniquely you is what will make it stand out.
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    In all that you do, know your True INTENT...

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    • Profile picture of the author toddperk
      Thanks for the good advice moneysoapbox.

      I agree with you 100% there, personalizing a product is key.

      Originally Posted by moneysoapbox View Post

      I wouldn't worry about it too much. Think about it like writing a paper in college - you research, you rewrite, you give credit (and in this case, you don't always even need to do that).

      Probably the best tip I can give is to personalize it. Don't just share the technique - tell me exactly how testing went and what benefit (or lack thereof) it did for you. Anybody can write a manual - but making it uniquely you is what will make it stand out.
      Signature

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  • Profile picture of the author mwoeppel1
    Here's something to think about - I heard it from the movie, "A Flash of Genius". To paraphrase; Charles Dickens did not invent the words, best, times, or worst. But he did rearrange them into something memorable and original:

    It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way - in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.

    Let that thought guide you.
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