Is this Greed or Business?

[Cheeky Goat]

That’s a really good point Vicki, I would have considered that first. Even worse that it sounds like he really was!

 

[Zany_in_CO]

I mean we are ALL constantly inspired by each other and that's a good thing, and usually it's flattering that someone liked an idea enough to copy it, right?

True. I would take comfort in that. We cannot know his motives. It's best to wish him well and get on with your life. As @KiwiMoose notes in her sig line, "Be kind because everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle."

 

[paradisi]

Um, no, it's more like he's a predator, he used his position to gain access and then to exploit the work she'd done. Flattery would be emulating an idea, not wholesale copying her.

Not unlike the FB group copying new popular scents and profiting off someone else's work. Both are vulture business models.

Too, consider that the more places like BB are ripped off, the higher they have to price things to get their initial investment back. The vultures are making money not just at Anne Marie's expense, but at the expense of everyone else who shops at BB.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

@paradisi Your point is well-taken. However, if we are to create a kinder, gentler nation, å la Alex Trebek, let it begin with me. It's sad that we condemn a person to criminal behavior when he isn't here to defend himself. For all we know, his motive may have been to provide for his family during these trying times. I've never met a "rich" college professor, know what I mean?

 

[MaryinOK]

I got snookered at Costco when I picked up a box of my favorite Vita Coco Coconut Water. It wasn't until I got home that I realized it was a KIRKLAND brand. Shamefully similar packaging, same ingredients with one iota of difference.

Well, many manufacturers make identical (or almost identical) products for several name brands and Box stores. Many years ago my son worked at a company that made several lines of cosmetics. Some very well-known and pricey, some less known and more moderately priced. The only difference was the fanciness of the container and the label. However, this is not an underhand practice - lots of companies do this.

 

[rdc1978]

This reminds me of those malt o meal bagged cereals. I know I'm a sucker but I need original frosted mini wheats even if they are all made in the same place!

Having to pay more in light of FO dupes is a good point. It stinks because I know that, for some, the cost of f/o is prohibitive. And that really stinks too because I think f/o are such fun and everyone should enjoy them. But at the same time, BB isn't giving it away! I wonder how much any of this affects their bottom line?

 

[Johnez]

I found this topic while searching for how to make a fragrance, however this does present a moral dilemma I never thought of. Going the easy route to send something off to a lab to figure out how to copy it sounds pretty scummy but I'm pretty sure this is common practice in the shaving soap world. There's some well respected brands that use terms like "inspired by" and then your favorite cologne. Creed aventus, YSL la Nuit, even Drakkar noir lol. Speaking of Creed aventus, there's numerous copies of that fragrance itself-all sold aboveboard, many current fragrances on the market. Heck I've even seen the "dupe" of original "Old Spice" here. The idea of copying somebody else's work stinks, but can a dupe really copy something perfectly? BB and WW are selling their products at a premium for more than their scent, but also based on reputation and being well run organizations. These people going the dupe route do not receive any of the benefits other than the scent itself and take the risk of getting bad product with no recourse. I have a feeling the companies aren't losing tons of money over this being they offer way more and have legion of fans.

I don't really have a horse in this race, but it seems that facebook group is doing something that is already an industry practice. I can't decide whether it's right or wrong, but perhaps that is because it seems so commonplace already that it never struck me as something to question.

 

[Saponificarian]

@Johnez I have no problem with suppliers that dupe Adventus and other Creed line, to my way of thinking they don’t make fragrance oils that you can use to make candles or soap etc.

What I have a problem with is duping Fragrance oils that is still strictly fragrance oils from small businesses who invested a ton of money into research to develop these fragrance oils. Shen then turn around to sell these knockoffs for less than the original supplier. This is cannibalism. Some of these fragrances she is wanting to dupe are new fragrance oils from these suppliers.