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What Would You Do If Your Product Was Ripped Off...?

by Mark-Dickenson
15 replies
I woke up this morning to an email from another Warrior(no need to mention names) and it was a video that went out to his list

Only problem was, the video is an exactly replica of one of my products.

This technique is not widely known...at all.

Its one thing to take someone's idea, improve upon it and make it unique enough to make it your own...but this was a step by step of my product

I pm'd this person about it and the argument I got was the usual article marketing argument

Well, that doesn't fly when we are talking about little know techniques that you just don't see everyday.

There are a lot of really unique products such as the Press Release cash forumula by a fellow warrior that I have never seen before...and it would be a shame to see such products being replicated by someone else and given away free

At that point, what is the point in coming up with unique, hiqh quality products that aren't the same old same old

I thought this was pretty lame...but I guess that is part of being in the IM niche

I hope it doesn't happen to other peoples products

-Mark

***I guess the point of my post is...what is to stop other people from taking your products and making a video of it and sending it out to their customers...and whoever else...for Free?

What is the point in making your own unique product if it is just going to be copied and given away for free?
#anymore #copyrights
  • Profile picture of the author getsmartt
    The problem as I see it is you cannot copyright an idea.

    If he used your exact product, your wording, your pictures then he violated copyright.

    If he learned something from a product that he purchased, then in essence he can share that knowledge with anyone he chooses.

    It then becomes and ethics game rather than a copyright game
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  • Profile picture of the author Shoaib
    I understand and agree with most of what you're saying.

    The problem is... unless we patent some of our "unique" techniques, or officially protect them by other legal means, I don't think there is much that can be done in these situations.

    The second problem is... 99.9% of these "unique techniques" are just things some of us figure out while working in IM on a regular basis, but it's not like they were invented by us.

    So, what that unfortunately means is, you can make a video about a "secret technique to ...... ", and someone else can go make their own video on the same exact technique, but unless they just completely stole all your original contents, graphics, etc, what legal resource do we really have against these people?

    It's not like we invented that so-called "secret technique", and then someone ripped us off. They could just say "oh yeah I discovered this technique the other day while I was staring at my monitor wondering what to do".

    Sad, but true.
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  • Profile picture of the author seoguy1
    I suggest sending them a cease-and-desist letter.
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  • Profile picture of the author Terry Matthews
    A copyright only protects the exact iteration of a group of words or images. A remake of the video presentation, even if it's almost verbatim, is probably not worth losing any brain cells over. Much of the internet is a stream of recreated original works, many of which are sold as PLR, merely reenforcing many peoples notion that anything online is free for the taking.

    Yes, it is in fact a moral compass issue, and anyone who copies another's original work without permission, or PLR rights, and doesn't add significant value, or at the very least, editorial insight to the method or purpose, is just a pirate or a parasite.
    The only good thing is, they don't usually last very long, as eventually the perpetrator is usually revealed, not having learned very much by just copying.

    Many marketers have complained of the same thing over the years and find their energy better spent on new output so as to be able to stay in the lead. That way hopefully you stay a step ahead.

    Good luck on whatever project you pursue next!
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    • Profile picture of the author Mark-Dickenson
      Originally Posted by Terry Matthews View Post

      Yes, it is in fact a moral compass issue, and anyone who copies another's original work without permission, or PLR rights, and doesn't add significant value, or at the very least, editorial insight to the method or purpose, is just a pirate or a parasite.

      The only good thing is, they don't usually last very long, as eventually the perpetrator is usually revealed, not having learned very much by just copying.

      Many marketers have complained of the same thing over the years and find their energy better spent on new output so as to be able to stay in the lead.
      I totally agree.

      I would expose the Warrior who did this but that doesn't add value to the forum...nor do I wish to get caught up in drama as I have a business to run

      It just caught me off guard by someone who's products I actually enjoy
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      • Profile picture of the author Gary King
        Originally Posted by Mark-Dickenson View Post

        I totally agree.

        I would expose the Warrior who did this but that doesn't add value to the forum...nor do I wish to get caught up in drama as I have a business to run

        It just caught me off guard by someone who's products I actually enjoy
        First, sorry to hear of this...

        That said, have you contacted them? I realize you don't want to reveal the other marketer and/or details of the product, etc. for good reasons - maybe just PM them this thread with a love note that says, "hey dude (or dude-ette), used to have a lot of respect for you - what gives?"
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        • Profile picture of the author Mark-Dickenson
          Originally Posted by Gary King View Post

          First, sorry to hear of this...

          That said, have you contacted them? I realize you don't want to reveal the other marketer and/or details of the product, etc. for good reasons - maybe just PM them this thread with a love note that says, "hey dude (or dude-ette), used to have a lot of respect for you - what gives?"
          Yeah, I did that...and got the old Article marketing argument

          I'll be laughing my ass of next time he comes out with a WSO...and someone reads it, puts it in video format, and sends it to his list

          I wouldn't do that...not my style...but would be funny as hell if someone else did
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          • Profile picture of the author halfpoint
            Mark,

            I know you can't name the person given rule 1, but can you give a link to your product?
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  • Profile picture of the author Donald Truehart
    I would definetly confront him at least.
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  • Profile picture of the author gussyboy
    I hate to say that is one the things about this business that we just have to accept.

    However, i still believe contacting the person and showing that you are on to him and are not happy with what he has done will most likely stop him from trying to do it with one of your products again. I agree getting caught up in the drama is a good idea, but let him know that you are upset and that you wont put up with it next time he does this.

    Im quite sure he wont be trying to do this with you again.
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    • Profile picture of the author Mark-Dickenson
      Originally Posted by gussyboy View Post

      I hate to say that is one the things about this business that we just have to accept.

      However, i still believe contacting the person and showing that you are on to him and are not happy with what he has done will most likely stop him from trying to do it with one of your products again. I agree getting caught up in the drama is a good idea, but let him know that you are upset and that you wont put up with it next time he does this.

      Im quite sure he wont be trying to do this with you again.
      I agree...I figure it is just part of doing business in the IM niche

      Don't worry...I let him know how I feel about it...so there is no grey area there

      I just hope this doesn't become common practice...but I think more people have more integrity than that
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      • Profile picture of the author Mario Brown
        Hi all,

        the person Mark is talking about is me. I have absolutely no problem to talk about this publicly because I don't think that I did anything wrong. Quite the contrary, seeing that I'm accused to be a thief makes me want to talk about this.

        Now here is what happened.

        A couple of days ago I decided to look for a solution to get my links indexed. I have people working on my and my client's sites building backlinks on a daily basis. Problem is that they often don't get indexed.

        Being a Warrior I started a search here on this forum for a solution.

        Didn't take me more than 1 minute to find some threads talking about how to get tricky links indexed. Several Warriors were talking about different great ideas and I contacted some of them in order to find out more.

        One of the strategies mentioned was new to me and it looked like a great idea. I took action on it, implemented the method and it worked.

        Today I decided to send out an email to my subscribers letting them know how to get their links indexed. I thought it would be a great idea and a nice way to add value. I was talking about two different strategies. One uses Pete's free service HTML to RSS Feed Creator and Aggregator, easily create rss feeds by Peter Drew and the second strategy was the one that I just learned about. Two different approaches.

        I created a 7 minute video talking about both strategies.

        Once in while when I stumble over a great post here on the Warrior forum I go ahead and point my subscribers in to the thread.

        This time (and I now guess it was a mistake), I decided to make a short video showing them both methods.

        One hour later I get a PM from Mark telling me that I ripped off his product and now I stumbled over this thread.

        Just for the record, one of the posts that I found talking about this idea is from the 16. of August, 2009.

        Mark, I have a lot of respect for you as a marketer and I think that you offer great value to Warriors for a low price, just as I do.

        Now that being said....

        By opening this thread here on the public forum with the title that your product got RIPPED OFF and basically saying that I'm a Thief and that I don't have Integrity you crossed a line!

        Just as you I'm an active Warrior, I try to provide great value and I have thousands of Warriors as my subscribers and satisfied customers.

        If the idea that was talked about in the thread that I showed you (and that was just one of the threads) is taken from your product, then I'm sorry about that.

        But, you should rather talk to your customers and ask them why they share your idea here on the forum rather than coming here to the public forum accusing me that I ripped your product off.

        You said in your post that you don't want any drama. What did you expect to get by opening this thread?

        Look I also have a business to run and I don't want to focus my energy on stuff like this. Like I said in my pm, I'm sorry if you feelings as a product creator were hurt, but I don't think that I did anything wrong by letting my subscribers know about an idea that I learned about here on the forum.

        Anyway, I learned my lesson.

        Next time I'm just going to point my subscribers to a particular thread rather than creating a short video about it.

        End of the song.

        Cheers,
        Mario
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        • Profile picture of the author Mark-Dickenson
          Hey Mario,

          Fair enough

          If you didn't get that info from my product, then I will publicly apologize

          With that said, my apology assumes you didn't know that the info came from my product before you made the video as well

          My reaction was based on the fact that I saw a video outlining the exact steps in my product...which is a little known technique that doesn't get discussed much around here

          Anyhow, I'll send you a PM in the AM so we can put this issue to rest

          -Mark
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