This was a question a colleague of mine asked me the other day.
My answer . . . yes, it will. And it’s way too easy.
Now that you know that your product will be copied, how do you best protect your product from copycats?Conventional wisdom says you should get a patent. But as I’ve mentioned before, patents are only useful for blockbuster mass market products and licensing deals.
Your question should be, “How do I protect my non-patented invention?”
Actually, it’s less about your product, and more about the way you make, deliver, improve, and stand by your product . . . i.e. the business you’ve created around your product. It’s easy to copy your product, and factories in China are more than willing to do so. However, they can’t copy your business. They can’t copy the way you interact with customers. They can’t copy your distribution channels. They can’t copy your brand and reputation. They can’t copy your energy and ambition. They can’t copy your SEO skills (especially since their Engrish is poor).
So, yes, you can differentiate yourself with your product. But to protect your product, profit margins, and livelihood, you need to build a business around the product that CAN’T be replicated.
This is what Coke has done. This is what Crest Toothpaste has done. If you look in your pantry or bathroom, this is what most consumer goods manufacturers have done. They’ve built a product-based business that can’t be replicated.
Following the lead of these successful businesses, my company, Webko, has built a successful business around the Headset Buddy, and because of it, we are #1 in most of our markets.
