The Business of Software

Is there anything you can do about copy cats, Lets say you release a program and a week latter someone releases program with same exact functions.

I'm guessing nothing can be done, but just wanted to see what people say here, because I know there must be a lot of copy cats lurking in the Forum. Doubt Bingo Card creators just pop into peoples head.

I've seen in many posts that the general view is that compitition is in fact good or doesn't matter much, but with there was something you could do against blatent rip-offs.

Meh. I have seen bingocardprinter.com show up in Google search results way before bingocardcreator.com.

Not much you can do. Just keep working hard and don't stress about copy cats too much. Sure, they may steal some of your business... but that's business. Always has been. Always will be.

Is your software so simple as that soneone can replicate it in 1 week?

Could it be that someone ripped your sourcecode and redeisgined the interface?

Or could it just be a coincidence that you were both working on a similar product at the same time?

Do you develope in .Net ?  is your code obfuscated?

Sorry to hear that, but I'm not surprised. Been there, experienced that... They'll not only copycat your software but also duplicate your carefully crafted wording homepage. They'll all come from the same "emerging economy" (at least in my case) :(

The best way to deal with copycats is to be better than them.  There are a whole host of things you can be better at.

Or choose a product that has a high barrier to entry -- something that takes a lot of time, effort, money or research to develop. Or requires specialized knowledge not many other developers may have.

I am surprised to find people looking down upon those who copy your products. If your product can be replicated in a very short time, AND sells better than yours, then it only means that your product, marketing, design or web site is not good enough. So stop complaining and find ways to improve your business.

"I am surprised to find people looking down upon those who copy your products."

Are you that surprised?

Are you also surprised that people look down on con men who take advantage of elderly victims? Or on burglars who steal from houses with unlocked doors?

People look down on those who try to make a fast buck on the back of someone else's efforts. Deal with it.

But I agree, the OP needs to work on his software and unique selling points to make it harder to replicate. mISVs who think a product is a week's work are doing the rest of us a disservice.

From your answers looks like I just have to out market this copy cat. And yes I'm sure there will be others.

I don't think the copy cat looked at my source code, They just copied the functionality and interface idea exactly.  The file size is about 2 to 3 times the size of mine with what look like bought components and probably a done in 5G language with a runtime judging the size of the EXE.

Copying shortens the development and that is why he did it. My program is not overly complex but you would need to download it and use it to figure out just how things work under the hood. Coincidence? no the package of tools was copied pretty exact, and yes some of my terminology too.

I do feel my program is better, and I do have a slew of additional functions I plan on adding. I think my passion for the program will also win out too. So I'm going to do as most of you say and just out market and innovate.

Thanks you all for the replies.

Mark - Sadly you are correct (if the language tag on the EXE is correct) and my clone looks to be from "emerging economy"

@6 month dev time or bust

Your comparisons are stupid. There is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING wrong with copying a product. At the risk of sounding stupid myself, what if the copycats whom the OP are referring to say that OP overheard their product idea in a coffee shop and somehow managed to implement it faster than them?

@ Anindya

Go ahead and Copy one of Apple's products or any other company that does have enough capital to take legal action. I'm sure they will teach you exactly why copying is wrong.

OP clearly said the copy came out a week later. And yes, easdroppers in Coffee shops are scum too.

No doubt copier saw product on BOS first ;-)

Copycats are completely devoid of innovation or creativity. Therefore they deserve to be looked down as one of the lowest forms of life in the developer hierarchy. Possibly even below recuitment consultants.

Want some respect from other developers? Come up with your own ideas. Nothing is 100% original, of course. But if there is nothing at all original or creative about your product, why bother? Go be an accountant instead.

"Your comparisons are stupid."

Your response is inane.

"There is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING wrong with copying a product."

So post yours and we can run a "copy" it competition and see who screams loudest when you start missing sales.

I don't get this moronic concept of "morals don't apply to me but they apply to you".  Lame, lame, lame.  To be inept and unable to generate a semblance of a new idea, or unable to improve on existing one is one thing, but copying - and literally verbatim as happened to the OP is something else.  There is ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING wrong with this.  Only a "developer" with creative bulimia would ever justify or engage in such a thing.

People are talking past each other here using two different definitions.

Def #1: Re-making an app. Thus, Winamp is a re-make of WMP. Windows was a remake of the Mac interface, and that was a remake of the Xerox Alto or whatever. This is all okay.

Def #2: Stealing source code, binaries, etc, and re-skinning it to look like a new product. Obviously, this is both illegal and unacceptable.

Copy cats normally duplicate your work the first time. They are copy cats because they want to apply minimum effort. If thet are like this, then they will not pursue your work much longer.

Just continue your work. In no time, you'll have a superior product.

The positive side: If you are alone in your niche, your prospective customers will not know if your product is actually good because there's no mean of comparison.

However, if you have a lower-rated competitor, then you can be regarded as the best.

Not a great argument but still better than nothing.

My $0.03 (0.02 Eur)

The OP never claimed that his code was stolen - if his competitors are using his code, then they are doing something illegal and legal action can be taken against them. But as long as the idea is not patented (again in which case legal action can be taken), then there is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING wrong with using the idea to make a profit out of it. A lot of Microsoft's ideas are not their own, so would you only use the products of those who had implemented the original idea?

GUYS, I've said this many times before, update your .htaccess file to block traffic from China and possible Russia & India. You will get no sales, but will get clones, copycats and cracks.

Most invention is actually innovation.

@Grown fat with decadence- how can I block China et al on IIS?

@Rui Curado (Image.InfoCards) Thanks for reminding me about the weak dollar....

It sounds like you either have a legal issue in your hands or you are suffering from lack of business acumen.

> Lets say you release a program and a week latter someone
> releases program with same exact functions.

I would be very surprised. Why would anyone go to the trouble of replicating your product unless it is already known to be generating lots of revenue? And who could possibly decide that within a week?

I'd say you two probably had the same idea at the same time unless, as someone mentioned, they copied your product verbatim which is, I believe, at least a violation of the copyright law.

If it is a legal issue, you can take action to remedy it. Otherwise, it is just another form of competition. You'll never be the one and only offer on the table. If you are, then there is something seriously wrong with your business.

@Anindya Mozumdar

Me thinks you protest to much.

The kind of copying I've seen and I think the OP is talking about includes function by function replication and visual elements including in many cases icons.  That's not only thick, stupid, dumb and lame it's also weak, mindless and TOTALLY WRONG.

Some of these scumbags even copy the web pages of the applications they are copying.  Further they copy the graphics. Their aim is to confuse the general public.  Stop trying to justify the actions of the creatively jaundiced.

BTW - Your website says "We'll be back."  What are you copying?

It says "I will be back". I am not a software developer, so I need not copy anything.

"It says "I will be back". I am not a software developer, so I need not copy anything. "

So then how can *possibly* pass any judgement on the ethics of software design, or lack there of, as a non developer and non software IP owner?  Lame is as lame does.