Jim…. wow! Awesome smackdown! You brought up this point once before, I can’t quite recall in what context, but in so many words you advocated brainstorming about producst and services that compliment an existing product and thus finding a non-competitive niche through which to enhance the user experience — or something to that effect. It made sense then, and it makes sense now. Have a great weekend!

Right on, Jim! Great to have you and Smacker back - with your plain talk (particularly loved the “He did NOT say that!”).

This is a growing problem online and you’re right - people are looking to make a quick and easy buck. They don’t stop to think of the harm they cause others when they rip them off - not only with the potential loss of income, but more importantly with the damaged reputation.

As the “real” author of the original Teleseminar Basics (released in 2004 and updated and expanded in 2006), I shudder to think what would happen if someone reviewed the clone of my product. I could get a bad rap without their ever having looked at my product - or even knowing it exists if they got caught up by a clone.

Ignorance is not an excuse in the eyes of the law and it shouldn’t be in the eye of the potential cloner. Do your due diligence and have the courtesy to see if someone already has a product with that title on the market. And as Jim said, see if you can purchase the product, purchase the rights to the product (if they’re not marketing it) or cooperate with them to create a joint product or marketing campaign. The pie is big enough for all of us - there’s no reason to rip someone off to get a fast buck.

As consumers, buy the real deal, not the clones. You’ll get better value and you won’t be supporting those who are trying to rip you off! Down with the Clones!

Heh Jim I LOVED how fired up you got. I almost had to back away from the screen you were so hot. I totally agree with you even though I had no idea the cloning was at the level it is. That’s Smacker Dog’s job so thanks for letting us know what he’s sniffed out. I love your tell-it-like-it-is energy and the cursing too. Here’s to integrity, creative thought, collaboration, improving versus cloning, and pure and simple honest work ethics. Thanks for being the advocate to that. I so enjoy your rants!

Hi Jim;

You’re right on target. I can understand the cluttered resale rights products in the market, that’s just the nature of the beast, but the cloning is out of control, I am also getting sick of hearing about the adsense templates and PLR articles that keep coming out each week. HELLO, PLR articles sold to only 500 other people. I am sure everyone just uses those as a basis and rewrites the article, yeah right.

Anyway, I guess it comes with success, but like Jeanette mentioned, I would hate to think about someone buying a substandard clone and then commenting on it’s quality and having other mistake the comments for the original.

Thanks for being our internet marketing advocate and setting the world straight.

Kevin Davis & Rick Dearr
InternetMarketingHelpdesk.com

Jim,
Awesome and a valid point. I had recently found a public domain work and
was going to turn it into a product only to find out that another marketer
had alreafy done what I had planned almost exactly. So I have decided
to approach this marketer about promoting his product instead of competing
and possibloy being accused of ripping him off.

As usual Jim, you are right on target. And, as a newbie to internet marketing, I, too, am appalled (even if I can’t spell it ) at the cloning process. I am very naive and didn’t realize that people did that — and can sleep at night apparently. I knew I loved your integrity when I first heard your audio for TNR. You are my kind of guy! Tell it like it is. I understand that this is for business people but as a few responders mentioned, it would not be good if someone reviewed clones of their products and they ended up with a bad rap. I would be interested in three topics: 1) What to do if that were to happen to you and 2) Is there a way to prevent people mistaking a clone for your product before they are disappointed and 3) How can an innocent online buyer beware of “cr*p” and “hire Smacker” to let them know ahead of time that it’s not his poop that the buyer is “sniffing”.
Thanks for all you’ve taught me so far. You are phenomenal!

Terrie

Hey Jim

Good on you for raising this issue - in a very funny way! But it’s really not funny when that happens to you.
I actually got sucked in to buying a “clone” of the well known “Google Cash” ebook. it was one of the few products I asked for a refund.

You are very entertaining, keep it up!

Wendy
(Australia)

Waaaaahhhhhh, sniff sniff, WAAAAAAAAHHHHH……

Jim Rocks! You are spot on regarding the lack of innovation. There are many stealing SCUM out there that thing they are out-smarting the system. How far can they get without working with the existing players … time will tell.

I would through out the same smack-down for all the users of open-source software that save thousands of dollars in software costs or hundreds of hours in time. Somehow, they never find it in there heart to contribute one cent to the projects. I realize this is the nature of open-source, but why not be generous. What would it cost to create or purchase the same on your own?

Just my two cents.

-Brian Nelson

Great points on the difference between cloning and INNOVATION. I think one of the problems is that what you are sayinng is not taught in a lot of these online marketing programs. It is known to most people but then you have online books saying how easy it is to make money by doing this…this and this….so the CLONER doesn’t bother to think, innovate or create anything new and trys to regurgitate poorly what they just learned. I bet some of the cloners don’t even realize they are cloners they just think they are doing what EVERYONE else is doing….

Keep it up Jim,,,

Larry Westcott
Creator The25YearChild.com

Hi Jim et al,

Enjoyed the rant.

Interestingly, I originally bought a clone of the mini-site creator course by mistake, because I thought it was a Jimbo product. I received it by email, downloaded it, and was upset because it was indeed not Jimbo but this dude who copied the course and who had the most boring voice of any human being alive at any time in recorded or unrecorded history!!

So I returned the course and told him he was an idiot–but felt kind of guilty about being rude–but now, I am vindicated!!!! I no longer have to feel guilt, the biggest energy drainer of LIFE!!

thanks again. I love everything about this site and Jim– you are The Dude.

peace (of mind)

Kate Loving Shenk
http://nursingcareertransformation.com
http://nursehealers.blog.com

Hey Jim - GREAT Post! This is a trend that’s been growing for a long time - there’s even a new ‘Guru’ gaining a rep for doing this with every great product that comes along - more and more blatantly!

Thanks for still being unique & honest, big guy - you’re still a hero to those who’ve followed you long-term!

Cheers,

Doug & Teri Champigny.

Entertaining (funny) way to make a point. Thanks for saying what needs to be said.

You might raise the viewing age to 21+

Hi Jim
There you go! I think you are nice to them. Maye that is a good way to go. Take them nicely (your sweetness doesn’t scare anyone off) in stead of with bad manners and threat… Although the threat in the end there was quite serious. It must be hysterically frustrating to have a product copied.

Anyway, you are a nice guy, encouriging the clones and almost coaching them how to succeed in creating their brand new products in stead of ripping off other people’s ideas.

Looking forward to next smackdown!

Unni

www.themoneymakingsite.com
www.uinfocus.com

Hi Jim,

I agree, I dont like the rip-offs…I have run across a website also that seems to be a clone of your mini website creator course. I am not going to fool around and tap dance about it. You pretty much have said it like it is. Sheesh, I’v been ripped-off on the buying end and I really understand where your anger is comming from.

Well, ’nuff my of my rants

Jim,
Yes.
Thanks for speaking out.
Plus, what a great teaching lesson to people going into biz.
Best,

LOVED IT!!!! LMAO!!!

Finally someone who talks like me! You make this ‘trying to figure out the net game’ FUN!!! (Makes me want to do some ‘rant videos’ myself.)

Cheers to people with Passion! ….Keep it up Jim!

Jim, Jim, Jim … you have made my day!

I’ve been bitten by the cloners not once, but twice. The first was a friend of a friend who I met at a social event for Internet Marketers in Greater Vancouver a year or two ago. He was all ears to find out what I was doing online. A few months later I learned that he had hired an Elancer to clone one of my eBooks. Now this was a topic for women, by a woman, but that didn’t stop this thief.

Then a few months ago I was alerted by another merchant that someone was selling my eBook on eBay. This new villainess had bought from me a few months earlier.

Not only was she selling my EXACT eBook (didn’t even take the time to ghost anything new), she was using my EXACT sales letter, complete with graphics. The only things removed were my photo, sales links and contact info.

(Jim, I remember you talking a while back about this kind of thing happening on eBay.)

Not only that, she was selling my eBook and other pirated infoproducts on MULTIPLE sites on eBay.

eBay acted quickly to have her remove all listings of my product (and those of the other merchant who contacted me), but it’s frustrating to know she can just pop up again at any moment with another eBay user name and site.

Anyway, just watching you (and the handsome Smacker!) vent your rage was a heckuva lot of fun! Thanks, guys….

From our beautiful new home on BC’s Sunshine Coast….

Sheila Martin

Hell Ya Jim - You Go Dude!!!

Peace,
Troy

Hi Jim,

Right on! Love you…Love Smacker…Love what you both say.

I too am tired of all the cloners and downright copyright thieves. I published my ebook at the end of June. By the middle of July, I found multiple excerpts on article directory sites with someone else’s name and copyright. These thiefs (and that is excatly what they are) are getting more and more blatant.

Donna Walsh

Way to go Jim, your rant obviously makes one hell of a lot of sense. But might I suggest that it is a bit easier for you to say as someone who is mentioned in the same breath as some of the best innovators on the net. For us mere mortals who haven’t made our mark yet, it might mean we sail pretty close to the wind in some peoples eyes because most of our stuff has been done before in some way or another! No excusing direct rip offs though!

Cheers

Henry

It constantly amazes me how stupid these parasite marketers (as I call them) are. It seems that the thought of creating something worthwhile doesn’t even occur to them. Making money isn’t “fun” for them, I guess, unless they can take it out of the pocket of the rightful owner. Pretty sick.

Great rant, and great takeaways at the end about making an existing product better and then partnering with the creator of it to promote it jointly.

And, if I remember your background correctly, exactly the way you broke out of mediocre results and crossed over into success.

Jim, you hit them right on the nads !!! errr i meant the nail right on the head… Idiots will be idiots thats why theyre called idiots !!!
Im guess fraud rules dont apply in the webosphere which is a bad thing. Its just a freaking shame too because alot of good people are getting burned by these con artists. And giving the industry a very bad name, which i suspect is the root reason for these iodts actions. It drives them just psycho nuts to think that other people can be succesful.

Jim I just loved this rave because it’s my rave too. I’ve been ripped off so many times I’d need a calculator to figure it out. I have no idea how to stop them but I sure would love a copy of this rave to put on my sites and send to the major cloners who’ve stolen my work. Is there any possibility?

Hey Jim, that smackdown video of yours was funny! :- ) Even with that puppet of yours. With all those points you made, they were very good! Are you going to keep that up? That would be great if you did. You definitely cut through all the “garbage” that’s out there and tell it like is. You don’t hold anything back, it’s a “no holds barred” tell all. This is great! Keep up the good work :-)!!

Jim absolutly awesome! I enjoy studying the internet marketing field, but except for maybe one or two players its all dry, hard selling.

You’re one of the few, watching you on a tractor, your neibor have his HUGE fire, and this… I haven’t laughed so hard about IM in well ever

Keep it up.

You rock!

Jason

WOW - you scared my dog right off the couch - she has left the room.

It is really a sad day when you find out that your hard work has been
copied and degraded by unscrupulous people. It amazes me at the
people who have no ethics about selling cloned products.

Your honesty is a plus in a world that thrives on deceit.

Let me go find my dog and I’ll look forward to the next “Smackdown”.

Terri

Hi Jim,
Here is one of my favorite quotes from my quotes collection file. It is one that I have
printed and put up on my bulletin board so that I read it frequenly.

“Jim’s Law of Creativity and Competition”:

Creativity makes you unique… uniqueness makes you indispensable… indispensable people have no competition! Jim Edwards

I might add to this that people who lack any creativity of their own and who seek
to gain a profit by stealing from others instead of thinking of ways to expand on good
ideas making friends, probably won’t be around long pose little threat to those who
are doing it right.

Gord,

LOL - a Jim Edwards’ quote can be a dangerous thing

I also apologize for scaring any small animals, children, or those of weaker constitution

Jim

[…] […]

Jim –

How’s your ticker doing? Thought I was gonna see a vein pop there:)

But your message is right on. I don’t know how much money I’ve spent on products that “are just like. . .” whatever. It’s almost always cheaper to go to the original source and not mess around with an unimaginative wannabe anyway.

But the key point you made is to make something better. This innovation concept — making something better — is not new with Internet Marketing. “Standing on the shoulders of giants who’ve gone before” many of our best and brightest products have come from innovators seeing a way to do something better, cheaper, faster.

Now, that’s the Japanese. . .uh, I mean the American spirit!

David Perdew

Right on Jim !

Thanks for the video Jim. I have to confess to being a little bit ‘lost’ at the moment in this whole Internet marketing ‘thing’ with so many people out there ripping people off. ($997 value for a frigging worthless certificate?). I guess greed knows no bounds and the Internet just accelerates it. Look at all these mega launches that have happened since John Reese’s. I can’t believe how many people can promote a yet to be launched product to their lists without possibly having had to time to understand it’s true value. Breaking some tired old conference onto multiple DVDs does not equal value and these people should be taken outside and…

Hi David,

My ticker is doing well… no recent episodes… thanks for asking

Jim

Hi Jim, great Smackdown! The biggest problem, I believe, is the ‘get it for free’ mentality that has crept into this business. Newer marketers cannot distinguish between the genuine article and the cheap and nasty clone. They are conditioned to getting free stuff so they too often go for the cheap option. We really need to be putting the names of reliable and innovative product creators out there more than we are now. Let’s educate the ‘newbies’ properly - the first time!
Regards from Australia

[…] Jim Edwards recently posted one of his famous “Friday Night SmackDown” videos on his “I Gotta Tell You” multimedia blog. […]

[…] Two days after watching Jim Edwards’ excellent video post, I find out today that some wannabe posts a project at Rentacoder asking for a clone of my free Orwell software. […]

[…] The Friday Night Smackdown has some “adult” language in the video so I don’t suggest you watch it with your kids but it is very enlightening and entertaining as well as only Jim can do it and he brings to light a very powerful message. Click here to view the latest “Friday Night Smackdown”. […]

Ji Jim ,

What a SmackDown. Great Video but above all I just hope those Da*%^& Id()&*
have watched your videos.

Day after day I see these loners and do a bad job of it.
I guess the message that some of these seminars have been teaching that “You can create Your Own Product - Just Go to RenA Coder and Have it done - Its easy ” seems to have gone the wrong way.
I think that sometimes maybe there are too many wanabee Internet Marketers who have not developed to culture themselves and grow and instead just copy - after all it’s easier and you dont have to your those grey cells that we are supposed to have in between that head.

Any way before I get carried away - Glad that someone SAID what a lot of people have been thinking. Hope it will make people go out and create good original products and like you say enrich the marketplace instead.

Hamant

OMG - Jim, you totally ROCK!!

I was just turned on to your smack down and I’m really thrilled that I was.

“We” often hear (or read or whatever) that we should do things this way or conduct business that way etc. Everytime I take that type of advise and go against my gut feelings I really wish I had done things a little more with my personality.

I am a creative person and often I feel I need to bring my personality down and this video alone has really given me the confidence to be more myself!!

thanks!!

Thanks

Creativity + good marketing + proven need + a good niche = profits

Trust your gut!

Cool video Jim, but I have a question. Does cloning apply to using products like the ones from http://www.resellrightsoftwares.com ?

Jim,

I have to say thank you and keep this smackdown going. I have been slaving over this new product launch I’ve got coming out soon and would be really pissed off if someone were to clone it. I would much rather work with others with like minded products than to deal with the idiot cloners.

Once again, Thank You and I look forward to the next smackdown!

Gary Marsh

Hey Jim, I’ve been wondering about that dog puppet of yours ( Smacker ); do you do the ventriliquism for it or does someone else do it? Just wondering?

Oh, by the way, Smacker is sometimes pretty funny!

Yeah! Go get ‘em, Jim!