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How to deal with copycat businesses when you become successful



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How to deal with copycat businesses when you become successful

If you're running a small business and you have big plans on being the main product or service in your industry, you'll always run into copycats if you do end up being successful.  People will piggyback off of your name, maybe even use it for their own branding, and they will profit off of clients who think they are working with you or that they're actually you.

I've run into copycats plenty of times in my online journey, some of them were even copying me lol, but doing your due diligence will quickly weed them out as fakes and you can find the real company who has the authority and respect within the industry.  People will use another businesses name or branding as their own so they can siphon sales from you, which is kind of sleazy, but it works well since many people out there won't go the extra step to do a little bit of research to figure out how good the website or company actually is.

Below are a few ways you can deal with copycats, and they are:

Start the process of getting a patent when you start
If you have something unique or proprietary, you should always think about getting a patent from day 1, mainly because they take a long time to go through processing.  You're not guaranteed to get a patent on your product or service because there could be a different company out there doing something similar to what you are and they've already gotten a patent before you.

If you can't get a patent on what you want, try to modify it and re-apply to get a new patent.  Think of it this way, if you can't get a patent because your setup/system/product is too similar to something else out there in the world, you can get a different one and now it's twice as difficult for a copycat to clone what you're doing since someone else out there is watching for someone to break patent law lol How to deal with copycat businesses when you become successful

Bring on a patent lawyer when someone breaks patent law
If someone does happen to break the patent law and use your exact setup/system/product, you likely won't know what to do to get them to stop or take them down.  This is where a patent lawyer comes into play because they have extensive knowledge of what to do when this scenario does pop up, and it likely will.

Think of it this way, you get a notification or find someone using what you have a patent on and they're not paying you a licensing fee, you send in your patent lawyer sharks to sue the company or person selling something you have a patent on.

There are two outcomes when it comes to someone abusing patent law, and they are:

  1. You can sue 
    This is one of the most common steps to take if someone abuses the patents you have.  You can get a decent amount of money from the person or company who is abusing the patents for their own profit.  Usually, this will end out of court because the copycat will settle and just pay you a nice amount of money.  They will then change up their systems, products, or services to be unique and not include what you have a patent on.

  2. You can license 
    Normally, you won't ask someone to strike up a licensing deal because they've already stepped on your feet, but more often than not they will sign up with you in order to not pay for a lawsuit.  Licensing is a big thing, you're basically telling them they can use your product specs as long as they're paying you $XX,XXX per month, or whatever you deem the right amount.  This usually is a far second compared to just suing the company because you don't make as much money from the copycat because they tend to be small fry in the industry.  Now, if you get a big box company breaking the patent law, you can get a nice licensing agreement in writing and make money on autopilot simply because you have something they really want to sell How to deal with copycat businesses when you become successful

Own their website or company
When someone is copying your product or setup, you can usually sue them if you have a patent, and you'll likely win.  On the other hand, you can settle before even getting into the courts or bringing in a lawyer by having them sell you their website or company for a fraction of what it's worth, then redirect all that traffic to your own pages. 

Now, if you're going against a big corporation, they won't sell you their website or company because it's likely worth more than what you're going to sue them for.  If you're going after a small company, send in a patent lawyer who will threaten to sue, then see if you can simply acquire the company that is making money off of your patent.  If they're making a few thousand a month and you're going to sue for hundreds of thousands of dollars, they will sell to you at an extremely low price or they'll just give you their website and business to avoid any sort of lawsuit.  If you get their websites and business for free, they will still have made money off of you, so it's up to you if you want to go after them for the profits they've already made or just call it a game and move on after you get everything they were profiting from.


In conclusion
Copycats are all over the place because not many people out there have unique ideas and would rather wait for you to figure something out, then they'll come in and snipe some sales.  If you have a patent, they will have to deal with your lawyers, and that usually means a small website and company is now yours or a large corporation will settle outside of court and stop using what you have a patent on or they will pay you a licensing fee or royalty on each product sold. 


Remember to follow me!
https://www.seoclerks.com/user/TommyCarey


Thanks!

Tommy Carey

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Kakashi2020
I think the most common copycat is happening in social media sites a lot of successful sites are being copied in social media groups and pages. I'm maintaining 3 fb groups and 3 pages in different niches and I've got some copycats who likes keeps on trying to copy my groups or to lure my new members and other traffic to theirs. What's funny is their names are just like mine with using some specialized letters.



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cmoneyspinner
I recently started a Facebook Group and one of my FB pals asked me if I knew that the name which I had chosen for the group was very similar to the name of another FB group or page. I said “No!” Hey! I wasn't trying to copy anybody. The fact is the name is just super common.

But here is the real check. When I went to create my first page on Facebook, the name I tried to use was rejected by the system. The system said that the name was already in use. So I had to think of another name. No big deal! When I went to create my group, no message came up telling me the name was already in use. The creation of the group went through smoothly. So for my friend to ask me about using a similar name, I'm like “Hey! The Facebook system should have caught it!”

If I am approached about being a copycat, I'll refer them to the case brought by Beyoncé and Jay-Z who wanted to stop a woman from using the name Blue Ivy (or Ivy Blue ... whatever!), which is the name they gave their firstborn daughter. THEY LOST THE CASE! Hey! That woman had a successful business with that name long before the Carter family decided to start adding on.

There may be names out there that are similar or even exact. But people aren't always trying to be a copycat! Just saying.

As for your advice Mr. Carey … for a wide range of business situations, usually when you send in a lawyer, folks back off! LOL. How to deal with copycat businesses when you become successful



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Kakashi2020
I have to agree that there are some cases which are coincidental but in some, like my Anime Group, it's a case of copying. I mean, someone setup the same group name and tried sharing some of my content to his site, he also tried ruining the group by by inviting all the members to go to his site also reporting some of my posts to fb. So I guess some people are really up to no good.



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cmoneyspinner
Yes. I agree with you 10 million times on that. Some people out there are just up to no good. They are RATS! If it weren't for my kids I wouldn't know anything about anime or manga. How to deal with copycat businesses when you become successful This is such a super popular topic and niche, so I can believe they tried to copycat your Anime Group. I hope you were able to so something about it.



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Corzhens
That is annoying when your Facebook Page has copycats and as you said the name of the Page was even copied but with a special character just to be different. Some people have the tendency to just copy instead of think because their reason is the success that you have in your site or in your case it is the Facebook Pages and Groups. But I guess we have to live with that kind of people for they will always be around.



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Martinsx1
These are wonderful tips on how to prevent your business from suffering at the hands of copycats because in our society today, there are some dubious people who are always looking for the opportunity to reap where they didn't sow and it's stealing one's business image and brand that they feeds off from. So, it's very important to work on getting a new patent for your business, as it's the most important way to secure your business from the acts of copycats, since you can sue them any time they breach on your business products.



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fishbate
A patent is really a good way to keep your product away from copiers, i know that there are fees when you go to the process but i think it's worth it specially when your product is really unique and really profitable. I also agree in securing all the licensing needed for your business to be able to avail all possible legal rights. Some copiers don't have licences and do not follow standards that's why their prices are much lower than the original ones.



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TommyCarey
Yeah, acquiring a patent takes some upfront funds, but you're essentially paying for protection from people or companies who want to use your idea as their own and take all of the credit. You're never guaranteed to get a patent when you apply for one, and if you do get one, it could take a bit of time for the entire process to go through. Usually, you will have a patent in place before you get too big and that means you'll be less likely to have copycats before the ink on the patent forms are dry lol.

It's sad that people will literally clone a successful business and use all the same names, images, logos, etc. just to try and get a few sales here and there. I understand if you want to run your own business, sell similar inventory, and make some money legitimately but I don't take kindly to people who try to steal someone else's image entirely. I actually had a guy claim to be me, while I'm talking to him, and when I called him out he didn't break character for a second. He had broken English, so I assume he didn't understand what I was talking about, but he quickly figured it out when he got a cease and desist letter in the mail and his website was shut down a week later lol How to deal with copycat businesses when you become successful

As for the licensing, I'm more talking about getting in contact with other companies and having them pay you a nice amount of money in order to use your products as their own How to deal with copycat businesses when you become successful You already have the patents and they can't sell your items legally, so they will have to license with you if they want to continue. There have been a few times in the media where a big corporation got caught selling someone else's stuff and had to license with them at a much higher rate than normal because of what they did lol.

Licensing is a way to have a company sell your products with their logos on it, but you don't usually have to front any money to help them out with rebranding the products. They pay you a nice amount each month in order to sell your products as their own, and everyone wins in the end How to deal with copycat businesses when you become successful



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treecko142
There's a lot of people out there riding on the success of other companies and copying the exact business model and products, and protecting your company from suffering the same fate will better protect your products and your property.



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Martinsx1
The truth is that if you fail to have your business name, products and brand protect with Patent, people will always take advantage of your lapses and make money off your business. Some would go to the extent of tarnishing your image by doing illegal business with your name, thereby putting your who business in a serious jeopardy.



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treecko142
Yeah, there have been a lot of cases where companies in different industries have the same name, and the controversy of one also affects the other, so it's better to protect your brand identity nd name.



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aeon
This case is very normal in my country, monkey see monkey do, something like that. They don't have any idea how to create their own business and then if someone become successful on particular business, the next day, a lot of people will surely sell that same product.



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treecko142
Yeah, there are a lot of imitation products available being peddled as authentic, and it can really hurt the smaller businesses not only if their products are copied but also they have to compete with these imitations of products from other companies as well since the public can't really tell the difference.



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aeon
Imitation of products are really annoying. It's hard to distinguish the original one to the fake one. But the problem sometimes, the consumers who bought the fake one will complain about the product, and the original or patented products will suffer for that.



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treecko142
Yeah, there is history of companies even releasing statements to the public that they do not produce low-quality products just because of the number of people who thought they bought the real ones.



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aeon
And right now in our country, there are some issues about the beauty products specially the whitening products. The company suffers a lot because of the fake products in the market who using their name. A lot of complainants file a case against them.



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Barida
Having a patent for our business is one sure way to ensure that we protect the services or goods that we send to the market from the hands of those that might want to imitate exactly what we do. Also, it is always important that we act, with the help of our patent lawyers, when there is an offender since that is a way that we are going to let others know that we ain't joking when we take such decisions as well.



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vinaya
I don't have any unique products to sell so I don't have to bother with patenting my products. However, for those who launch unique products, patenting might help them to protect their business.
However, I am concerned with trademark and copyrights issue. I own websites and business and many people have copied my websites and business model. I don't know how can I deal with these issues online.



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Kakashi2020
Here in my country it really takes forever to get a patent, more so sue your copycats. The best way to go is to inform as much people ad you can that their products are fake.



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Tronia
God, copycats are so annoying but they're sadly all over when it comes to business. If they see that you've made something unique and potentially very successful they will for sure try to copy.

I really enjoyed reading the article but I was always under the impression that patents can be quite expensive? Or does it purely depends on what your business revolves around?



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aeon
We had that same problem before in our food business. That's why we ask the authorities or who ever responsible for giving license for that business, and they found out that they are illegally selling food.



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Corzhens
This patent or copyright is not a simple issue if you will consider hiring a lawyer to file a case. Plagiarism is now being somehow controlled by WIPO – World Intellectual Property Office. As long as you have proof that you are the original of the content and that you were the first one to publish it in the internet then you can file a complaint against the copycat and WIPO will take action.



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aeon
Getting the patent first before starting your business I think it's really hard to do, and you need a lot of time and money at the same time, but this one is very important to protect your products and most of the business owners, just interested to this patent when there're some people who already copying their products.



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jaymish2
In the local press lately I have been reading stories of people who have come up with ground breaking technologies, which have been stolen by big corporations. These big corporations have gone on to make millions of dollars and these young people are still broke. I agree that patents is the first thing you should look into. However not everyone has that kind of money. Especially when you are first starting out. I wish they was some kind of scheme to help out starting entrepreneurs. A patent is definitely one of the first things you should consider as you start any business that requires any kind of technology or design.



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