3 ms·

What's the consensus in protecting yourself from getting copied in China? Launch there first?

shantanubala 15y ago
The short answer seems to be: you can't protect yourself, it's a waste of time and money trying, and just keep making your stuff the best it can be for the audience you want. Unless your target audience is in China, don't worry about China until you're Google (and even still, don't worry too much about China). Or at least that seems the best strategy for a startup that's short on time and cash.
- rtg 15y ago
  Curiously, even Apple wasn't able to make headway in fighting counterfeit products. [1] "China's government declined to investigate a facility ... that was manufacturing imitation Apple laptops because it threatened local jobs ... A different arm of China's government scrapped plans for a raid on an electronics mall in the Guangdong province because it could have driven away shoppers, the cable says." [1] http://www.macrumors.com/2011/08/30/apples-anti-counterfeiting-efforts-in-asia-hampered-by-uncooperative-authorities/ http://www.macrumors.com/2011/08/30/apples-anti-counterfeiti...
- sjs 15y ago
  If you're good enough nobody will take as much care in creating a copy as the you did the original.
Volpe 15y ago
I'm curious as to where the line between 'copying' and 'competition' is drawn. Generally, chinese companies that 'steal ideas' (if you subscribe to such a notion). Release to a chinese market, that you don't (and likely never will) have access to. So what are you protecting against?
- Joakal 15y ago
  Brands and easy-to-copy stuff mostly: http://www.businessinsider.com/china-fake-stores-2011-8?op=1 http://www.businessinsider.com/china-fake-stores-2011-8?op=1
Joakal 15y ago
It's tricky but the best way is to be a Chinese citizen in the country. This will avoid bribery laws of USA (China is more lax and society there encourages it), Chinese government officials will be supportive (Baidu > Google), assist government in finding anti-government people and more.

The short answer seems to be: you can't protect yourself, it's a waste of time and money trying, and just keep making your stuff the best it can be for the audience you want. Unless your target audience is in China, don't worry about China until you're Google (and even still, don't worry too much about China). Or at least that seems the best strategy for a startup that's short on time and cash.

rtg 15y ago
Curiously, even Apple wasn't able to make headway in fighting counterfeit products. [1] "China's government declined to investigate a facility ... that was manufacturing imitation Apple laptops because it threatened local jobs ... A different arm of China's government scrapped plans for a raid on an electronics mall in the Guangdong province because it could have driven away shoppers, the cable says." [1] http://www.macrumors.com/2011/08/30/apples-anti-counterfeiting-efforts-in-asia-hampered-by-uncooperative-authorities/ http://www.macrumors.com/2011/08/30/apples-anti-counterfeiti...
sjs 15y ago
If you're good enough nobody will take as much care in creating a copy as the you did the original.

Volpe 15y ago

I'm curious as to where the line between 'copying' and 'competition' is drawn. Generally, chinese companies that 'steal ideas' (if you subscribe to such a notion). Release to a chinese market, that you don't (and likely never will) have access to. So what are you protecting against?

Joakal 15y ago
Brands and easy-to-copy stuff mostly: http://www.businessinsider.com/china-fake-stores-2011-8?op=1 http://www.businessinsider.com/china-fake-stores-2011-8?op=1

Joakal 15y ago

It's tricky but the best way is to be a Chinese citizen in the country. This will avoid bribery laws of USA (China is more lax and society there encourages it), Chinese government officials will be supportive (Baidu > Google), assist government in finding anti-government people and more.