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Are you scared of copycats?
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Bikky Khosla | 10 Jul, 2012
"What if a novel idea strikes your mind, you come with a fresh, new product or service, and then someone else copies your idea and start selling a similar version?" This was one of the questions a student asked me at a recent conference. "If fear of copycats holds you back, you can't do anything new," I replied quickly. Well, I know I wasn't wrong in that opinion, but still I can feel the pain when this happens to someone. Yes, frustrating is the right word.
But in the world of business we face it every day. There is hardly any choice but to face it. Sure, copyrighting or trademarking might help, but this may cost you a pretty penny, and probably this is the reason why most of our small entrepreneurs hardly find it a good option. They just prefer to ignore it, and even if a handful of small firms invest in intellectual property protection, it's not easy at all for them to monitor infringements or to fight a legal battle against copycats. And finally, there's even worse than that -- copycats may just legitimately tweak your ideas.
How much can it really hurt? It depends. What if the duplicate version is only a poor imitation of your original product, service or marketing message? It's hardly a problem. When the copycat fails to bring that life or energy to something as you have done in creating the original one, it's really difficult to outsmart you. What the copycat does will never get the heart of the original version, and is therefore destined to get only lukewarm response in the market.
But you may not be so lucky every time. What if a copycat takes your idea and makes it better? What if a big guy turns into a copycat, goes for a large ad campaign that is much beyond your small budget, and starts taking clients from you? That's not fair -- you shout inside your mind, but nothing is in your hand that can prevent it from happening -- a sense of helplessness and anxiety starts to creep into your mind, and suddenly you feel caught in the grip of negative thoughts. Now, all of your positive energies are gone.
This is where we go wrong. The key to fighting copycats is being more innovative while, on the contrary, dwelling on the negative squashes our ideas. This can make things worse. So, stay focussed and keep innovating. Try to improve your work before someone else does. In this race, whenever a copycat does better than you, just try to learn what makes it better and strike back. And always focus on enhancing your business' intangible values such as reputation, branding and image. These things can't be copied.
Working hard on a unique idea and then getting copies is never a pleasant experience, but don't let this fear hold yourself back from doing something new, and even if someone rips off your idea, instead of ruminating about it, just take it as a part of business. No doubt it's really difficult to keep copycats at bay, but you can certainly be ahead of them by thinking afresh and keeping innovating. Never let anger, worry and negative thoughts take your focus off the positive.
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Are you scared of copycats?
Sarath | Wed Jul 18 08:20:27 2012
Dear Anand,
This article makes good reading...
Reductin of Custom Duty
RAVINDRANATH RJ | Sat Jul 14 12:11:17 2012
We would like write letter of Indian Government for reduction in Basic Custom Duty for import of component required Machine building in view of economic slow down, tough competition due to export dumping of machines to India and also for survival of industry.
Pls send me Import and export date for last year to make proper representation through IMTMA
Are you scared of Copycats?
Bekal Srinivas Rao. | Thu Jul 12 10:10:21 2012
It is practically impossible to keep the Copycats at bay all the time.. It is necessary to have relevant intellectual rights registered. Failure to do so may put the Originator in an unenviable position to defend himself, if the Copycat registers them and claim infringement of rights by the Originator. Intangible Business Assets and acumen to be perennially innovative are core factors to run the business profitably in a global economy scenario.
Even protection of registered brand is difficult in India for MSMEs
Kailash | Wed Jul 11 12:29:31 2012
Dear Bikky Khosla, not to talk of imitation of original product/design, service or any idea it is quite tough to stop registration of same brand in India. I have registered brand "Cotex" in some categories since 2003 but still have to spend big amount on legal actions to stop others getting the same brand registered. When now every data is on computers then why does not the registration bureau take care of it and allow for filing again and again? Getting the brand registration is very small thing.Now we can understand about real problem of intellectual properties, ideas protection.
Nice article on copyrights issue
Manohar Bhatia | Wed Jul 11 12:20:05 2012
Sir,
Its a nice article on copyrights issue. An original thought is a unique thought of one individual that does not match with another thought of another individual.
The writer above has given some hints as to how to tackle the copycat.
Thanks for the info.
I know how frustrating
Sunil G Mehta | Wed Jul 11 11:43:22 2012
Being a victim of TM infringement I know how frustrating it is ..
Hence the article was a interesting read for me.
The real danger
Roberto Casiraghi - Italy | Wed Jul 11 11:21:31 2012
I think the major problem is not somebody copying your product but somebody copying your product and then registering it with a copyright office as if it were his, for instance in another country, not necessarily India. Then the copycat company could legally sue you. And that would really be annoying!
It's a GEM
Sawan Jasoliya | Wed Jul 11 08:55:28 2012
Very well said. All articles are fantastic but this one is a special. Thanks.
Useful information
William Blake | Wed Jul 11 08:26:53 2012
This is where you should think about wrapping the "thing" intellectual property rights.
Try and work out just what people actually need and/or want before spending time and money on a hunch!
This can be difficult without giving away the nub of the idea.
It's almost impossible to protect ideas but you can protect the expression of ideas in "things" such as a gadgets, methods, pictures, words, sound, code and so on.
The wrapper is Intellectual Property rights.
Once you're sure you've got something that will satisfy market needs and you can make it work, file for intellectual property rights.
These can offer a time limited monopoly and they come in several forms.
A typical group could consist of an invention (patent), a design (design right) and a Logo (Trademark). The former two have monopoly time limits. For instance a patent, once granted, provides the holder with a right to stop others from copying it for a period of 20 years from the date it was first filed. This right only applies in countries where the patent has been granted and where the fees have been paid.
After the expiry of this right everybody can copy it. The purpose is to encourage the advancement of ideas for the common good.
This is the principle behind intellectual property rights but it is not generally understood. The exception is a Trade Mark which has no monopoly time limit provided the required fees are paid.
But don't stop there! Keep improving and filing the improvements and you'll have a business.
All successful ideas get copied
Ajay Angre | Wed Jul 11 06:54:35 2012
If you are creative and innovative in your thinking, in your ideas, you can keep giving new concepts to market without any fear of being copied. All successful ideas get copied eventually and you can not stop copycats. The classic example is of Apple computers. Late Stev Jobs was innovative, and imaginative with a creative bend of mind. His unique innovations like ipod and ipad were copied by others quickly. But, Apple always remained the leader of innovations and others followed. The brand never suffered any set-backs in marketing terms because Apple remained much ahead of their competitors in innovations. Today Apple ipad is still selling at a premium price and Apple brand loyalty of customers has not diminished ever. It is a matter of only how smart you can outsmart your competitors in offering something new, innovative and remains first to hit the market with your original ideas. You are building company image and Brand image there by taking number one position in the market. Apple sells at high price tags their innovations and there is a waiting market to buy their products. They are not worried to sell their ideas at premium value and that is market positioning of a brand which commands and created a perceived value. Always and all the time. And you remain the leader in the market. So the bottom line... Remain innovative and retain your number one position by creating new ideas. Don’t worry about imitations. Accept it as a part of business dynamics.
Reply
007 Bond | Wed Jul 11 06:16:16 2012
How much does it cost for copyrighting or trademarking? Why do we ignore it? is there any other way of tackling copycats? If we have a business idea & wanna prevent it from copyrighting, what should we do?
Why should worry
Ravi | Wed Jul 11 06:10:18 2012
In the first place if it is an innovative product, copy cats come later, so logically why should a person in front be frightened of a person behind him. This is exactly where the innovator should be taken along, encouraged to beat the copy cats with one step ahead designs. Let me elaborate on this, suppose a company takes an innovative product, takes it to the market, it is copied. The company which has promoted this product faces the wall, then what happens, nothing it is back to square one, they need new ammunition which can come from the first person who had devised the innovative product,otherwise there was no need to adopt the value added design, it is for the desire to stay ahead, that the company should takes the designer along not pay him and forget about him.A small story to sum this up,we listen to a new song and we all like it immensely what if the music director says that he sang the song,any how he has paid the singer handsomely,the singer does not complain but think of the future the music director,he is not equipped to sing his own song. It is not the singer who has to be worried, it is the music director. Money is secondary.
Needful Advice
Mr. Rayan | Wed Jul 11 05:42:51 2012
I am worrying about our products getting copied by our competitors. Thanks for your ideas. I will improve to be different from others.
Good IP protection is a must
Ezhilarasan. N | Wed Jul 11 04:57:33 2012
I fully subscribe to the views expressed by the author. Would like to add that in case the inventor feels protection is needed considering the Intellectual Property(IP) value, its better to approach IPR regional offices for enforcing protection by way of registration which will cost reasonable/minimal charge if one is looking for Design or Layout or Trademark protection while Patent protection will cost little more. Beware of high consultant cost. Our Indian Govt encourages IP protection and particularly encourages SMEs in a big way. Please visit www.ipindia.nic.in for further details. I request all SMEs to take advantage of these facilities offered by Indian IP Institution and benefit from the same as it is not all that costly. Good IP protection is a must in the interests of our Indian industry.....Thanks With Regards Ezhilarasan
Delta improvement
C V Manian | Wed Jul 11 04:40:35 2012
Rightly put sir. You can never get away from copy cats, but you need to keep the delta (incremental) improvement always on your side and for that you need to keep on innovating and not worry about the copy cats. Just remember Edison and the light bulb and that should provide any one the right inspiration or should I say, perspiration?
copycats
A. RAB | Wed Jul 11 04:07:19 2012
I fully agree with you to be positive but the problem is if they are managing the things (market/officials, etc.) with bribe more problem arising may be worst.
Keep ahead with new ideas
Kevin (South Africa) | Wed Jul 11 03:40:23 2012
Nice article.....I have been on the receiving end of products that have been copied. As mentioned in your article the best way to come out of this type of situation is to keep ahead with new ideas and products, have faith you cant keep a good innovator down. Unfortunately you do lose hope, and Fear and Doubt try to set in from bigger organisations that try and muscle in on your innovations.Thanks once again for your info and this article.
They Help sometimes
Bill from the US | Tue Jul 10 21:10:47 2012
My friend came up with a novel Idea but did not have the money to go on a national advertising campaign so he took his idea to a trade show sure enough someone copied it. They marketed it Nationwide to Flower stores, educated them and convinced them it was a good Idea . Then once the customer was Informed .
MY friend Hired a telemarketing company called every flower shop in the US and sold it for two hundred less than the guy that copied.
Made a half Million in orders in 2 weeks.
Copycat must be banned
Monica Wang from China | Tue Jul 10 15:47:46 2012
I don't know we can take any measure to forbid copycat action. I think the government can do a lot of effort for this.
copy cats...
Mark Loucks from the US | Tue Jul 10 15:00:01 2012
I for one spent the money for a US utility patent only to have it copied by many firms. I wish I knew how to stop it.
I also wonder why we should have to pay to defend it.
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