A competitor copying pricing structure and web page details

[ray_223]

Hi,

My fiancee and I run a small specialty printing business and one of our competitors has copied our product range and prices almost to the letter.
There are a couple of very small changes to the wording and some prices have been rounded up a few cents but 99% of it is identical.

Do we just take this as a compliment and continue to improve our products and service? ie. Is there any need to do anything?

Nothing we do is trademarked or copyrighted so I assume there is nothing illegal with this practice but it just seems wrong.

I can send URLS's to individuals who are interested in looking at our original and our competitors copy.

Thanks,

[KarenC]

Hi Ray, I sent you an email so I can see the urls.

I'll comment after I've seen them. Cheers, K

[KarenC]

Hi Ray, I had a look at both.

On the positive, the page design is entirely different, so that's good.

On the other hand, it would seem text such as:

'You specify the wording and upload any artwork when you place your order and your proof will become available which you will need to confirm.
All standard tickets are printed with black ink, with red sequenced numbering. You have a choice of paper colour that can be white, yellow, green, pink or blue (non white paper costs an extra $5.00 per 1,000 tickets).'

is identical to yours.

The problem is that they could say they are just keeping on par, or thought it was standard text used by many printers.

I personally would just focus on what you do best and not worry about the competition.

An example, I do advertising also for my husband's business each week as well as other clients. One of my husband's competitors copies the style and format of the ad every time I change it. The adverts are side by side each week. We consider it a compliment and just focus on what both of us just do best.

[ray_223]

thanks Karen,

It's the first time I have been copied!

Hopefully if we continue to run our business well it won't be the last.

thanks, again

[Burgo]

What a compliment, to be copied.

Just goes to show you that your the leader and they are the followers.

So WHO is your competition....you?

[ray_223]

Originally Posted by Burgo

What a compliment, to be copied.

Just goes to show you that your the leader and they are the followers.

So WHO is your competition....you?

Hi Burgo,

Yes, it is a compliment, but it still gives me an uneasy feeling. It just seems like a real cheap shot way of doing business.

They even copied my grammatical error! (since fixed)

As I said before ... hopefully if all goes well and we continue to improve other people will copy and I'll get used it it

[Carole]

I would be letting them know that you are aware of what they are doing.

[ray_223]

Originally Posted by Carole

I would be letting them know that you are aware of what they are doing.

Hi Carole,

What would be achieved by letting them know?

Would you ask them to change their pricing structure or website text?

As far as I know what they have done is in a gray area of the law ... quite possibly we could force them to change because so much text is a complete copy of our site ... but I imagine it would take legal advise to proceed ... and this would cost us money ... probably more then what we would loose by them copying us.

[Jexley]

Ray, that is the shats mate, and I've seen it too many times before. Unfortunately, it seems there's little you can do other than ask them to stop and threaten a C&D with legal whoozeewah.

There's been discussion over on Port 80 (http://forums.port80.asn.au/showthread.php?t=12664) where a guy's been blatantly (!!) ripped off twice. Brutal.

Good luck with that.

[LeelaCosgrove]

Hi Ray,

I know it's a pain!

I recently had an ex-contractor leave me, scold me for 'ripping' them off ... they then ripped off my business model and started turning up at places I frequent, I suppose with the idea of 'stealing' business from me ...

At the end of the day, you've just got to laugh and remind yourself that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Where your IP is seriously ripped off, issue warnings ... but don't get hung up on people wanting to be you ... at the end of the day it just shows that they have a total lack of ability for original thought ... which means they'll never REALLY be your competition ...

Just keep doing what you're doing - keep innovating, moving forward - and remember ... success is ALWAYS the best revenge!