Thoughts about people selling jigs with "my" pattern

[Shoemoo]

I wrote this in reply to another thread, then figured it was a good idea to create another one so as not to derail the first. Anyway...

There's the potential for someone to take and sell your pattern any time you post a jig or fly pic. For the vast majority of patterns, it's not hard to tell how they're made just by looking at a picture of the final product. Tying jigs and flies uses a lot of standard techniques you can find all over the place on the web and in books, so it's easy to guess the method used and do some trial and error until you get it right. All the patterns in use today had to come from someone somewhere.

People have come up with the same patterns independently as well. I once saw a thread on that other board where someone selling a particular teaser fly pattern absolutely went off their rocker when someone else posted a picture of flies they had tied with a similar pattern. The pattern was basically a chenille body with a rubber leg tail tied on a sickle jig hook. Not exactly a stretch to come up with just by trying to emulate a tube jig on an extremely popular hook, but the first guy was positive it was stolen from him and made an ass of himself blasting the second guy.

The only real way to keep a pattern to yourself and ensure no one copies it is not to post pics, but where's the fun in that?

 

[CrappieHappy]

yup, if you post pics, you can guarantee they will be copied. patterns can be copied easily. If your in the b'ness of selling jigs, just make sure you put out the best product with the best customer service, and you should be good to go.....

 

[AtticaFish]

No doubt - people will do whatever they need to do to make a buck. Some have every right to do so, others have every moral obligation NOT to and they all do it just the same. Good idea to check the Photo Disclaimer sticky thread in the Jig Pics/Recipes board also. If you don't want to be copied - don't post it! It still amazes me how the pony/horse head jigs were defended so well for as long as what they were. Isn't there now some other spin jig options from Northland or Bluefox... or some other manufacture?

 

[Hawnjigs]

Yup, apparently adding a belly swivel to an Erie or other style jig head might circumvent the Road Runner patent. Regardless, small time mfgs. like me don't have the resources to defend against legal actions, so I avoid any possible conflict.

I don't participate in another tackle forum cuz I got tired of guys asking about knocking off replicas of other's designs. I offer whatever I know but guys without the courtesy to acknowledge answers to their questions got tiresome as well.

Agreed, just offer the best quality, service, and price you can, and let free enterprise determine success, or not. What I do find annoying tho, is when someone "borrows" my exact modified head/hook versions jig heads and undercuts my already low profit price. Price war? - nope, I won't play that.

 

[Jig Man]

Ran in to kinda the same deal when I was a guide... Take some one fishing, go back in a few days and they are fishing in the spots you took them too.

 

[Hawnjigs]

And keeping their catch?

 

[StumpHunter]

If you never post pictures of your work who wants to buy any??? LOL I have had people call me and ask what I used on a "named" jig, walked in one store and they had jigs with my name on them!!! that another tyers sold to them.. wow the things people try to do. The colors of any jig will be copied but like said, treat people right and they will come back.

 

[JUNGLEJIM1]

I actually hope that the tyer's here do copy and use the jigs I post on here. That's the reason I put pictures up here. If someone wants to copy something I did and sell them I'm not going to cry about it or cuss anybody out. Just about any ideas out there now has been done by someone else before and thinking you were the first to do something is silly. I've gotten some great ideas from people on JigCraft and make modifications to suit my tying and fishing style.

 

[redman]

Stacy good question that I have put some thought into. I am in agreement with JungleJim. Use any idea that I have. Run with it make it better.do a study of it and make a better mouse trap. Then it comes down to who thought it up and who gets the credit. There is where EGO & Jealousy starts to creep in.

The petty little man without a brain will try to take someone else's idea and convince you it is his own to advance his career and booster his EGO. When someone starts to brag on themselves and try to convince me how great they are I become very wary. To the point that I want to run the other way. But i think that AF hit the nail on the head and that some will do anything to make a buck without any moral outlook.

There are two types of truly great minds. The first who take many different ideas a mold them into one truly greaat idea. The other are truly great intovators these have great minds. Both of these types of people become well known and successful. The little man who prays upon there success is like a flash in the pan. He will have to keep chasing the end of the rainbow and is really miserable.

The little man will win battles but never wins a war and never has many friend but only smaller people who will feed on the scraps of his breif success.

 

[ragged edge]

Several years ago I tyed a certain colored jig pattern that was a killer on crappie. Word got around and the jig head supplier wanted me to send him a sample and I refused. I am not a vender. I tye jigs for me and fish for two species, crappie and walleye. I may see your pattern and try it but they may not always work in these waters here. If it works I will let you know. Now and then I will post a picture of a jig but it is always the same basic pattern just a different color............nothing special

 

[Pup]

Maybe, someone here will eventually develop a "super duper" fish-catching jig pattern with porcupine quills...

J/K around about that...

I am flattered when someone shows interest in what I've tied created and happy to pass along much of what I know. If they make a buck off of it, so be it. However, it is nice to be recognized by name/nick name in some way if they've received personal information from me. That's a common courtesy that doesn't seem to be very common anymore.

 

[cadman]

I pour, paint and sell all of my bass jigs and spinnerbaits. I rarely post pics. It's not that I have anything to hide, it's just that I don't post pics. I really don't care if someone copies my ideas. I have nothing proprietary, and I don't make anything as extravagant as you guys make here. My stuff is simple and it catches fish. I have had guys try to copy my stuff and I say go ahead. Many fail and some don't. The people that fail are the ones that don't listen and want to hurry up and get it done. This tackle making art takes a lot of time, patience and above all practice. It's not about getting rich as many of us know. If I want to make good money I would work more hours at my full time job. I have taught so many people to make bass jigs with all my tutorials, that I still get some of the guys that call me up and say, can you make them for me, "I just don't have the time or the skill set" to do this, so I do. Also, I have guys want jigs for less or tell me that my prices are too high. I just tell them politely that I custom make jigs to order and my prices stand as is. I have a pretty big following of guys who buy my stuff. It is not because my prices are cheap, ( because they are not), it's because the great customer service I provide and the great quality of jigs I make. I'm not trying to toot my own horn, but I've seen a lot of guys come and go. If you put a good product out there people will come back and buy more and you will get a strong following. I have been doing this for about 10 years, I have never advertised, and there are months especially in Spring where I have a 6- 8 week lead time, as I have so many orders. I am only one person and I take pride in every jig I make to this day. Also as I have done in the past I will always help anyone that asks.

 

[Fireshadow]

I work in a field where we are all creative and the comiption is the person next to me. I've been doing this for 15+ years now. The greatest thing I have learned when it comes to creating for other people is that I love to inspire the people around me and that I can be inspired by all them, when that happens we all are able to grow. Then the product truly becomes even better. There will always be people out there using other people ideas to try to make a buck and never try to create any thing of there own. Look at any big lure maker. We are all copping there basic patters and then adding our own flair. That's what makes them our own, in turn what brings our customers back. I have always believed in quality over quantity.

I have learned so much from all of you on here and have become inspired by all of the work that you all choose to share, that I am looking to start my own small business for lure making, in hopes that I can off set the cost of my ever growing venture down the slippery slope of lure and fly tying. Also to have something that I have created to mabey one day pass on to my children.

As I go forward I can only hope that I can inspire any of you with my work as I start to post pictures of my work. I will welcome any criticism too, so that I might be able to provide a better quality product to my future customers. Please feel free to use any of my ideas that I put out there. I will always do my best to make anything I do my own although any of you might see similaritys to your own work. As said before everything has been done almost once before by somebody. All we can do is try to use our own vision to make it ours in some suttle way.

Again thank you all for inspiring me with a new creative outlet. Please contue to post patterns so we can all be inspired by each others work and contue to grow this craft.

 

[Bo_G]

The "Shoemoo Jig" does have a certain ring to it!

 

[LedHed]

"I am flattered when someone shows interest in what I've tied created and happy to pass along much of what I know. If they make a buck off of it, so be it. However, it is nice to be recognized by name/nick name in some way if they've received personal information from me. That's a common courtesy that doesn't seem to be very common anymore."

X 2

 

[Hawnjigs]

Yup, if you go pro, best to have a fervent enthusiasm for what you're doing, be continually inspired to improve, and truly appreciate customers. Or fade away like the many that jump in for the $.

If our northern gal created a ShoeMoo pork rind trailer that would have a ring!

 

[Bucho]

Hmmm... lot of good thoughts. I´m starting a business over here, too. With a market environment totally dominated by the plastic-establishment, I am happy about every posting in any forum at all that deals with hair jigs and their use.

I am mostly concerned about legal actions from larger companies that are not even interested in protecting their own developments but to just kill the idea of a european jig tying fashion in the first place.

With the patterns being copied, I am too much of a fly tyer to take offence in that - i.m.o published tying patterns are shareware, and every copy is a tribute to the creator.
Every steal (not giving credit) of another one´s name however is nothing short of product piracy. It not only steals part of your possible turnover but also affects the quality standard perceived by customers of your "brand", which I find much worse. There are laws against that in every civilized country which personly I would not hesitate to make use of.

 

[plateboater]

Work to many hours to produce that many jigs but I say don't post if you don't want it copied for sure. I do agree more knowledge shared improves all.

2nd the "shoemoo jig"!!!!