Swiping Vs Ripping People Off
Warning to everyone writing salescopy - do you understand the difference between swiping and copying?
- Swiping - Taking bits and pieces of a salescopy, usually a phrase or two, for your own use. Swiping is about taking the essence of a salescopy (the message and the style) and applying it to yours. Some may say it’s unethical, some call it research.
- Copying - Taking the actual text / images off a copy and putting it in yours. This is illegal, and a violation of copyright.
I respect every Internet marketer. I know that they work hard, and I don’t want to accuse anyone when I probaby have my own mistakes as well.
But today I went to [edit: removed as author has removed offending text], and I while I was reading the salescopy I thought to myself “This looks and sounds like mine”.
And what do you know? It is mine!
The product is a collection of videos about blogging and sells for $47. On the surface it looks like a well-designed and well-planned launch, but looks can be deceiving.
Here’s proof of the amount of text blatanty copied from the Wordpress Adsense System salescopy (red is the original, blue is the rip-off):
He just changed the number of responses from 183 to 54.
Obviously he did no research whatsoever, but I did, and I can prove it anytime.
The above is again direct copying. All he did was to move some of the points around, and add some filler words here and there. Again since he never did the research the points cannot be true either.
Even copied my quoting technique! This must have been easy - just copy the whole thing from my site, shift the image to the left, and delete the first paragraph. Wow…
But does he know if the quote is true, if Joel Comm actually said that? I know where I got it from so I can show the quote, but how does he prove his case?
You can compare both copies using the image on the left (quite big).
Although I hesitate to write negative feedback about another person, this is really over the line.
I just don’t understand one thing:
If [edit: removed as author has removed offending text] goes through all the trouble to get video testimonials (which is cool), why can’t he write his own salescopy? Or if the product is a knock-off-video-version of mine (which I dont know since I decided not to waste my money) wouldn’t it make more sense to let me know, get my permission and then natually add me in as a JV partner?
The Internet is big, yet small. If you’re doing a product launch how can you really expect to get away with copying?
You’ll be suprised how many Internet marketers know who you are, what you’re selling etc. And you’ll be suprised by how much products an average Internet marketer buys on his way to finding good ones.
Last month alone I bought over 8 different ebooks and software, and yet only recommended 2 of them. The rest were either crap or not appropriate. Unless you’re one of those pirates elling stuff on Ebay, do you really think no one would notice?
The worst part is that the product is also being sold on Clickbank, which may or may not effect my own product rankings. If it does, I’ll inform CB to remove it.
The sad part is I was actually there to buy the product. I had been wanting to do a video guide for my subscribers but I thought if this was good enough I’ll just send them there. Of course buying or promoting this product is the last thing on my mind right now.
It just leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
What a rip-off.
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Ya, u r right. what a rip off. if he wants to copy, do it profesionally la. u know what i mean. Anyway, i’m just visiting and saying Hello to you.
Have you check what he have to say about it mate? Maybe he’s not aware what he is doing is wrong …
Hey Gobala,
I saw your post about me… firstly.. I like to really say sorry about copying your salescopy…
The thing is that I didnt know how to write a salescopy so what I did was I model yours to mine which was a TOTAL mistake at the first place.. and it is my first time writing a salecopy…
I have already remove it… and I am serious about what I just did.. for my videos.. SO FAR EVERY THING in the salescopy is real even the 54 responses.. u want the responses I can even EMAIL them.. I truly have them.. I did not lie.. but just that I did not know how to write a salecopy one the right way…
btw.. just because I cant write a salecopy doesnt mean I dont know my stuff.. you can see my website at http://www.gathersuccess.com I the REAL DEAL..
So I model your site to write my salescopy.. It’s only my first time doing it… but.. if you find out more about me you can go to my website at http://www.gathersuccess.com and see what I did there I truly am what I say on the site…
ALL MY VIDEOS are based on http://www.gathersuccess.com and what I have achieved…
I wanted to JV with you… but I didnt dare to contact you as you are my MENTOR and I looked up to you. I tried emailing all the GURUS but it seem they all WILL NOT HELP! so I was not really that happy thought just do it along…
but thanks very much for visiting my website =) I hope you can remove the post from your site as I have already remove any WORDS related to your salescopy and I will redo it…
Check what I do in there.. I seriously know my stuff as I got 10 years experience in the technical area.. and I REALLY HAVE no INTENTION to copy your stuff…
All I wanted was to create videos and show my audience what I know.. and I seriously know what I post…and make some money online… that’s all…
To the top,
“The Blogger That Was Accused”
Alvin Phang
I hate copycats.. Maybe his ghost writer is not good enough. Eew. Thinking of it makes me wanna puke.
Hi Gobala,
Maybe you can check with Alvin regarding this matter. I know him, I think he did not do it on purpose as this is the first time he is doing copy writing, he may not sure what is swiping and copying. By the way his videos is surely not a copy of your easywordpress system because I had watch them.
As what Jag Senghera have mention, have u checked with the guy before u flammed him? Frankly from what i see is that all he did was swiping.
He swapped and added some words to this own style of writing.
Neither am i siding on him or u but from what i’ve seen on his blog http://www.gathersuccess.com (which i googled BTW) he is still new in this line. Prolly he have no idea in making a salescopy and found out urs is the most suitable one for his product and he decided to use urs as a template and i dont think there’s anything wrong with that UNLESS he copied ur salescopy WORD FOR WORD.
As u had mentioned in ur very first few sentences,
* Swiping - Taking bits and pieces of a salescopy, usually a phrase or two, for your own use. Swiping is about taking the essence of a salescopy (the message and the style) and applying it to yours. Some may say it’s unethical, some call it research.
I’m sure most of us need references when we’ve juz started rite??
In any case, have u contacted that guy and ask for an explanation before u post this? Coz if u dont u’ve juz flammed someone.
“The product is a collection of videos about blogging and sells for $47. On the surface it looks like a well-designed and well-planned launch, but looks can be deceiving.” - How do u know its deceiving? Juz because he made a mistake u labeled him as deceiving.
“He just changed the number of responses from 183 to 54.” - Have u verified with him that he just put a figure or is it really true that he have tat figure?
“Obviously he did no research whatsoever, but I did, and I can prove it anytime.” - Can u prove that he did no research?
“The above is again direct copying. All he did was to move some of the points around, and add some filler words here and there.” - Thats swiping…
Copying is taking the actual text / images off a copy and putting it in yours. Yes he used 2 of ur ‘words’ but there’s no direct copying involved. English is still English u cant claim “Easier? Maybe” and “better? Definitely not” to BE urs.
“Or if the product is a knock-off-video-version of mine (which I dont know since I decided not to waste my money)” - Quit assuming things. For what u’ve said u can be sued. Try it then write it.
There are more mistakes that u had done in ur post then what i can find in alvin’s. I’ll leave the rest of the mistakes for ur subscribers to discover. I’m sure they are an intelligent group of readers.
All i see is that u juz want attention from the cyber realm to acknowledge u n trying to pick other ppl’s flaws. Which i find pretty childish IMHO.
To Alvin,
Ok, I’ll remove the references to your site. It seems like a good idea at the time, but on second thought probably not.
But it was direct copying, and was very obvious. I had been subscribed to your pre-launch campaign and had been waiting to buy, so imagine my disappointment and anger when I was reading my own work on your site.
Re-write your salescopy, and if you don’t have anyone to edit it you can give it to me, I’ll edit it for you.
But before the 14th please as I’m heading off to a holiday after that for a couple of days.
Good luck in your campaign..
To \”LostSoul\” or whatever.. maybe you really are lost.
Your justification is thin and self-contradicting. Obviously you didn\’t read the post or look at the images before attempting to share your wisdom.
I usually don\’t allow people who dont leave an name to comment. In your case, it\’s just funny.
Maybe if you wanted people to take you seriously, you could show your name.
“I hate copycats.. Maybe his ghost writer is not good enough. Eew. Thinking of it makes me wanna puke.”
Dear Weblord… Define copycats pls…
Oh wait let me define it for u…
“The term copycat (also written as copy-cat or copy cat or cc) refers to the tendency of humans to duplicate the behavior of others, as expressed in the saying, “monkey see, monkey do.”" - Wikipedia
Get ur facts straight… Ur lack of understanding of simple english terms makes me wanna puke back at ya.
** OH MY! Will wiki write a post on me for copying their content? I hope they do!! Instant FAME! **
To Gobala Krishnan,
How many percent sure are u that i did not read ur post or ur images? Quit assuming…
If my justification is thin and self-contradicting, in what way is it thin and self-contradicting? Share it with the readers on y u conclude that way.
I changed the salescopy already.. you can view it at http://www.blogcashguide.com
I think let’s cool off. Everyone has their own way of expression. Alvin had done the neccessary to admend it once he realised his mistakes. Everyone do make mistakes right. Let give one another another chance!
Btw Gobala, enjoy the holiday that you are going!
I wish I could go for a holiday soon too!
John Tan
Interesting piece Gobala…
But I wonder. Did YOU ask Joel Comm if you could use HIS words and HIS photo on your site?
I just wonder if you are being a hypocrite or not.
Phil
Lets not get this into something even serious ya?
It should be between Alvin and Gobala and i feel that there surely is a solution or agreement at least between each other.
From the comments, it seem that things are going smoothly so far.
Actually Gobala isn’t so bad after all as he offered his help and Alvin has changed the salescopy.
Give it a break!
Glenn Tan
Im just watching here ….
as passerby. happy holiday Gobala. Cya at the top of the highest Mt in SEA.
wow..this is the first time a saw a problem like this. I hope both of you find out the right solution for both. Happy Holiday Gobala.
Our (Malaysian) reputation in the IM is already not so good (banned from Paypal, labeled as scam, hacker), so why don’t we just be cool, be helpful, be open, be nice to our competitors (you just can’t avoid it when you become famous).
Anyway, IM is a big piece of cake that enough for almost everyone.
Happy Valentine.
p/s by allowing Alvin to have his link appears (traffic!) in this post is really a generous thing Gobala did. Who knows you guys can become JV partner one day.
I personally feel that copying is not the right way to do, but could take this as learning path. If you really do not know how to write it by own then just inform the author and ask for copyright and pay the premium. This is called respecting IP. Our local brand car was also copied other countries car initially, it just a matter we need to pay the premium of copying until you are independant to come out your own “brand”. Learn from mistake and it is still not late