Hi all,

I'm new to this forum and this is my first post. I can't find it with the search feature, so I post it here.

By the way, I'm new to Copywriting world, heck I"m new to online biz world.

I have a competitor with a very good sales letter in my opinion. A lot better than mine, if I may say.

It's in a big niche with hundreds of competitors (I know, I know, it's crazy to enter a niche this big, but I'm curious. It's a mistake that give me precious lesson) , however, as far as I've researched there is only one competitor putting it in a sales copy format.

My question...
Can I 100% re-write the sales letter for my own? Is it legal?

What I mean by re-write is something like this:
- I copy the design. Well not blatantly copy. I change the font styles. But when there are quotation marks, I use it. If there is a big color headline I use the similar color (well, not all red colors are the same). I copy the percentage of font increase/decrease. I guess you know what I mean.

- I change the wording. I may add or delete several sentences, but it will somehow very similar.

- I copy the structure. (Pre-headline, headline, questions, products, etc.)

I'll take the IM product as example to clarify my point. If the real copy says something like this...
I will do something like this... (while copying the font's size and color also the words placement)
It has the same "...", words placement, style, etc.

It's a 100% re-write, it will be different but very similar if you compare those head to head.

Why I'm doing this, you ask? Well two reasons:
- I've read that it's a good thing for me to practice to write my own sales copy. However, I'm a newbie, thus, it's impossible for me to write something good.
- I'm having financial difficulty at current moment, that's why I can't afford hire pro copywriter. Every penny counts

Can I do that? Is it legal?

Regards,

Hi - I would avoid copying other people's sites. It might get you in a lot of trouble. (edited for niceness)

ken

Ken, if I understand him correctly, he's not talking about copying the copy word for word (i.e. plagarism), but rather the flow and design, and changing the words. Look at his before and after examples. The ideas are the same. The words aren't. Words can be copywrited. Ideas can't.

Unless I misread his post. But certainly anyone who plagarizes should be legally squashed like a bug!

John

From what little I know, I can't see the difference between what he's proposing... and swiping. He's using a proven "template" but changing the words.

Isn't that just what we do?

If a successful competitor uses...

prehead
scary headline
johnson boxed testimonial
2 paragraphs of story
10 bullets
a little more of the story
3 johnson boxed testimonials
5 more bullets
close story
make offer
bonuses
signature
3 ps's

And it's working....

Then from everything I've heard, he can do the same
exact thing, as long as his copy is different.

Why not just be original? Screw trying to be like someone else.

The good news for you...and the bad news for your competitor...is that copyright law protects only a very few things.

1. it protects you from somebody making and distributing EXACT copies of your copyrighted work. (like photocopying a book, or copying a CD)

2. It protects you from someone taking an exact word-for-word copy of your sales letter.

Unfortunately, ideas are not protectable. So the re-expression of an idea using different words like you demonstrated in your message is not protectable.

I know...because I have written perhaps one of the most copied online letters ever, and as much as I wanted to protect my intellectual property, it can't be done.

So...copy away I suppose.

Depending on how important Karma is to you.

Hi all,

thanks for the advices and comments.

Yes, yes, John said it better than me. What I'm trying to do is to copy the flow and the design, not word by word. So don't worry Ken.

For the design I'm not planning to copy 100%, but says around 95%. But for the flow... I'm planning to copy exactly the same, until the SMALLEST detail of the flow.

Is this considered plagarism?

I know before hand that plagarism will get me into lots of trouble, that's why I need to confirm with experts like you guys in here.

Can this be considered as swiping as TvWriterGuy said?

For Ricky, I know that making my own copy is the best way to go, however as I've said, I'm new in this copywriting world and currently I can't afford to hire pro copywriter because of my financial condition.

Interesting topic about Karma Dean. I don't believe in karma, but I do believe in fair and justice God. Or, are those the same thing? Well, it's not the topic we are discussing right now. But, it's good that you mentioned it here. It makes me think twice of doing this. It hit me in the heart.

From your replies, I get the understanding that... If I swipe, that means I'm not copying and especially not doing plagarism.

So, I want to ask you guys another question...

Where is the line between swiping and copying?

I'm not talking about plagarism, I know it's wrong and not legal, but copying in the essence like Dean's experience.

Is copying the big flow considered as swiping while copying the smallest flow considered copying? How can I draw the line of what is big and what is small? How can I draw the line between swiping and copying?

Regards,

Solomon... you're 100% okay and legal. Go do it and don't worry.

as long as it's not one of my sites, or else...



ken

Plagarism is word for word copying.

Swiping is like this:

Suppose you see a headline you like that is selling well. For example:

"How a Broke Unemployed Banker Went from a $278 weekly Unemployment Check to a Work at Home $246,122.00 a Year Business--and How YOU Can Too!"

If you were selling a product for hair loss, you might swipe the above headline and rework it like this:

"How a Short Bald Middle-Aged Man Went from Having No Sex to Having All the Sex He Wanted with a Full Head of Hair - and How YOU Can Too!"

Ok, obviously those headlines are garbage. I just threw them out there to illustrate my point. But you get the idea.

John