3 ms·

If I were this "very large" Chinese IT company and I really wanted to buy your business, I'd create a clone to give me better negotiating leverage. Edit: just

If I were this "very large" Chinese IT company and I really wanted to buy your business, I'd create a clone to give me better negotiating leverage. Edit: just to clarify - I personally wouldn't do this, because it is possibly illegal and absolutely unethical. But very large companies (in China and elsewhere) are not known for being ethical.

bflesch 11y ago
Unfortunately it hasn't progressed so far that we are actually negotiating yet. But the perspective is there. I can't say our website is very artistic, but here in Germany those laws can be enforced with much strictness, and people just wouldn't imitate you like that. Maybe this is the payback for what the Samwer brothers have done to silicon valley entrepreneurs..
- studentrob 11y ago
  How certain are you that their site has a genuine flurry of activity/users? If I were a Chinese clone with this strategy, I would try to simulate that activity as soon as possible to make it seem like a legitimate threat. Can you get in touch with any would-be users within China who speak English and Chinese to gauge whether or not this site is legitimate before worrying too much? It seems you are short on facts at this point.
  - bflesch 11y ago
    Very good point. We will have a look at that. They only joined two days ago and all their events are password locked, which makes it hard to gauge real activity. If they do for-money events then they most likely send around money through some payment apps which is hard to track for us. We don't have very many Chinese users at hand but I will ask in the team to get more info on their marketing activities.
    - studentrob 11y ago
      If you do go into acquisition mode, I'd take a good hard look at their numbers. My pessimistic point of view is it'd be next to impossible for you to verify anything, even if you were Chinese, without some inside information. The protections you're used to just don't exist there yet.

bflesch 11y ago

Unfortunately it hasn't progressed so far that we are actually negotiating yet. But the perspective is there. I can't say our website is very artistic, but here in Germany those laws can be enforced with much strictness, and people just wouldn't imitate you like that. Maybe this is the payback for what the Samwer brothers have done to silicon valley entrepreneurs..

studentrob 11y ago
How certain are you that their site has a genuine flurry of activity/users? If I were a Chinese clone with this strategy, I would try to simulate that activity as soon as possible to make it seem like a legitimate threat. Can you get in touch with any would-be users within China who speak English and Chinese to gauge whether or not this site is legitimate before worrying too much? It seems you are short on facts at this point.
- bflesch 11y ago
  Very good point. We will have a look at that. They only joined two days ago and all their events are password locked, which makes it hard to gauge real activity. If they do for-money events then they most likely send around money through some payment apps which is hard to track for us. We don't have very many Chinese users at hand but I will ask in the team to get more info on their marketing activities.
  - studentrob 11y ago
    If you do go into acquisition mode, I'd take a good hard look at their numbers. My pessimistic point of view is it'd be next to impossible for you to verify anything, even if you were Chinese, without some inside information. The protections you're used to just don't exist there yet.