Dan,

If you are trying to say that I am a hypocrite because I brought up the plagarism of my website on the forum here, while at the same time discouraging lure makers from fighting about who copied whose lure, I can only point out that plagarism of copyrighted work is a clearly litigated issue with clear law around it - while fishing lure patent issues are just a wee bit fuzzier.

If Steve Von Brandt had continued to plagarize my articles, I would have retained a lawyer, sued him, and won. I've never sued anyone in my life but that is something that would have been worth it to me to sue over. Instead I used my site as a tool to bring awareness to the issue only after my other attempts had failed. It was successful and I was pleased with the outcome.

On the other hand, if a lure maker copies some other lure makers baits (patented or not), the odds are debateable that anything will come of a resulting lawsuit. Should we argue about it on here ad infinitum or should we let the courts decide? I'd like to let the courts decide, and I have found over the years that no positive outcome has ever come from an argument on calfishing.com about who copied whose lure. Rather than continuing to fight pointless fights, I discourage that type of discussion on the site.

So hey I have some spare time so let's go through this discussion again about why I discourage lure makers from fighting about who copied who. I would love to put this topic to rest. That may be overly optimistic, but I can be overly optimistic sometimes :)

The story goes like this:

I used to get more involved in picking sides in lure copying fights in the past and allow that sort of discussion. In the more recent past I'm trying to play the neutral role and discourage these kind of debates on the site.

My not picking sides in lure copying fights has cost me some friendships in the past. It may cost me some friendships in the future. It may cause some lure makers to never post on my website, consider me to be a spineless wuss, or hate me outright. These are the consequences of my decision on this subject, I'm prepared to accept them.

Fighting about who copied who in the big bait industry has become a vicious circle that perpetuates itself as more people enter the market, and more lure makers treat the new entrants to the market like they were treated when they tried to establish themselves. It's been going on since the AC Plug and while it may seem juvenille to someone on the outside, it has become a way of life for many who make their living carving baits and pouring plastic.

If you wonder how I feel about the lure industry in general being an industry that rushes to copy innovative ideas as fast as possible, I think it's a pretty amoral unscrupulous industry. I feel sympathy for the guys who invent new designs and manufacture great product, only to get ripped off and undercut. I think it would be nice if there were clearer more protective laws for the true innovators in the industry.

On the other hand, I am tired of lure makers who cry foul when their products are copied in part or in full because they did not adequately prepare themselves for the industry in which they participate. If you have a smart fishing lure idea, you should expect your idea to be copied. Simple as that. Anyone who claims they did not know this was going to happen is just not a very smart businessman.

If you want to fight it can I offer some advice? How about acting like a real business and learning the law before you go to market? How about trying to protect your rights within the context of the law? If your legal rights are infringed on, how about getting a lawyer and litigating. If you win, get a settlement, get an injunction, get whatever you are legally entitled to. If you lose, be smarter about it next time.

My plea to the lure makers who use this site is this:

Use the site to get the word out about your baits (free advertising).

Let people know what shops your baits are available in so that they can find them (more free advertising).

Offer helpful tips to the general public in regards to your product, this will build good will and make people feel like you are a person whose bait they would like to purchase.

If you would like a product review, send me a sample - I will be as objective and fair as I possibly can. You will find that calfishing.com is one of the top ranked search results on google.com for many many swimbait type fishing lures. Visibility like this for your product for the price of a single lure is typically a great investment. Much better ROI than placing an expensive ad in a magazine I would imagine.

And lastly, don't use the forum as a place to air your disputes with other lure makers, bitch about getting ripped off, or pound your chest with 'this is the best lure ever' type comments. Instead take a minute to think about your target market, the average guy who just wants to buy your bait and catch a fish.

Does the average guy care about all of this? I really doubt it. The average guy wants a helpful tip and wants to know where he can get your bait. He wants a decent price on a good product. Most of all he wants to catch a big bass. Calfishing.com is a place where I hope people can come to find out more about things like catching big bass. Lure makers of the world can help contribute to that goal in a lot of ways.

Please post your disagreements, rebuttals, or changes of heart :) I will not delete anything you have to say Dan.