

I just got meta-copied - d_r
http://creatingev.com/post/9610965432/i-just-got-meta-copied

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softbuilder
In a country with a billion people, even if you're one in a million, there's
still 1000 people just like you.

~~~
forcefsck
This is my QotD today.

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moonlighter
Something is a bit fishy with that favicon. The version used by the 'rippers'
doesn't use transparency, whereas Tian's favicon does have one.

That favicon source (there are probably others):
[http://www.veryicon.com/icons/system/free-
business/copy-4.ht...](http://www.veryicon.com/icons/system/free-
business/copy-4.html)

~~~
sjs
It's on the first or second page of icons in a Google image search for "copy
icon" with size set to icon.

[http://www.google.ca/search?q=copy+icon#um=1&hl=en&t...](http://www.google.ca/search?q=copy+icon#um=1&hl=en&tbs=isz:i&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=copy+icon&oq=copy+icon&aq=f&aqi=g7g-m3&aql=&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=3283l3730l2l3911l5l4l0l0l0l0l255l698l1.1.2l4l0&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=28bbe6c6131b6901)

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ig1
I feel a bit disappoint that this has got so many votes on HN, when a simple
Google image search shows that the icon in question is a simply a freely
licensed image produced by FreeIconsWeb that turns up when you search for
"copy icon".

I'm guessing the author of this article knew that (presumably that's where he
got it from) but chose to omit that rather critical point from his post to
make it seem more favourable to himself.

Link to original image: <http://www.freeiconsweb.com/Icons-
show/Freeicons/Copy.png>

~~~
moe
Your pedantry seems out of place considering the self-ironic tone of the
article. It's not like the author was whining and pointing fingers, he's
obviously taking it with humor.

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insraq
Well as far as I know, the 'rippers' claimed by author has existed for a while
now. This tweet is posted on Jul. 16
(<http://www.weibo.com/1655212723/l4EWMiVcl> ) while the author's post is
posted on Aug. 30. So I would say this is just a coincident rather than a rip-
off. And I believe the author should spend a little more time doing some
research before accusing the wrong person.

~~~
jackjun
Coincidence... really? I know the favicon is a common property and all but
what are the chances two sites with similar ideas ends up using the one?

~~~
ZoFreX
> what are the chances two sites with similar ideas ends up using the one?

Pretty high if your websites are both about copying and that icon is high in
the Google results for "free copy icon".

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meric
Don't feel too bad, you spent a mere 2.5 hours, and as a result a website that
took probably 10 times that effort popped up. You lose the personal gain from
the project, but the valued created as a result of 150 minutes of work is very
efficient!

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sien
Is there a Chinese copy of HN?

~~~
duck
Not a "clone", but there is an India version and it seems to still be active:
<http://hackernews.in>

HN Thread: <http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1908893>

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zhang_rui
Author is actually Tianfang Li. As an entrepreneur he is famous in China. I
did not think he would have time to make other projects.

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tlrobinson
I'd like to see them list each other as copies of themselves.

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

~~~
shantanubala
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
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-
counterfeiti...](http://www.macrumors.com/2011/08/30/apples-anti-
counterfeiting-efforts-in-asia-hampered-by-uncooperative-authorities/)

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pbhjpbhj
I wonder if all these companies are really negatively impacting creativity and
inventiveness?

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geuis
The author hasn't included a link to the "copy factory" website. I'm curious
about what that link is, because I have noticed that Chrome will show favicons
despite no favicon.ico being equipped on a site. I have seen this mainly has
happened on local apps where I know for certain I am not serving one yet one
shows up. I would like to check the "copy factory" site to see if they aren't
defining one either, and if the author is simply seeing an artifact from his
browser.

~~~
richchan
link to "copy factory": <http://shanzhaioff.com/>

~~~
geuis
Thanks for the link. The first thing I notice is that while the icons visually
are similar, they are of two different sizes.

Indeed, the favicon.ico from the "ripoff" site is 32x32 vs the "original"
which is 16x16. Further, the larger image shows more detail in the gradients
and edges than does the smaller. When I resize the larger to 16x16 pixels, it
looks similar but still features slightly different colors than the
"original".

Finally, when I resize the "original" 16x16 up to 32x32, it lacks the pixel
clarity of the "ripoff". It seems obvious that the "ripoff" icon wasn't made
from the "original" as is being claimed.

~~~
sbayless
I don't think the claim was that the 'ripoff' icon was literally copied from
the original, just that the concept for the site - right down to the concept
for the favicon - were copied.

But I salute your sleuthing, none-the-less.

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jackjun
The webapp seem to be built using Twitter Bootstrap and Heroku. I would have
thought Chinese programmers who resort to copying would be using older
technology.

~~~
evanwalsh
The app at chao.heroku.com is not the copy.

~~~
jackjun
Oops, you are right. However, chao.heroku.com still seem to be made for China
by a Chinese author.

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vynch
haha this is one of the reasons I stick to iOS apps!!

~~~
Groxx
Yeah, there are _no_ clones on there! Ever since they required that
applications not be clones of each other, there's only ever been _one_ fart
app!

Heaven, thy name is App Store. Thou art a pantheon of deduplication.

~~~
vynch
a)It takes a lot of time and technical skill to clone a good iOS app..and even
if you are successful you have to go through the Apple Developer Program(which
is annoying but it helps) and there are legal implications.

b) yeah fart apps are easy to make...but try cloning a good app like angry
birds or talking tom cat!

c) if you really wanna clone and make money your best bet would be to clone as
fast as possible and clone a lot of apps.You'd much rather just stick to rails
apps (heroku ftw!)

d) and lastly there are people who can clone even the best iOS apps very
quickly...but with that kind of technical skill also comes creativity and
integrity!

~~~
Groxx
There are _dozens_ of clones of angry birds. Some of them as good or possibly
better. And we aren't talking about clones of polished products here, we're
talking about a site that admittedly took a 2.5 hours to make. The comparison
to a fart app (though their site is vastly more useful, and a unique idea
AFAIK) is apt.

Lets take something with a bit less stigma. Background-changing apps. There
are, what, 100+ of them? Probably more? Lots of them even share some
backgrounds, which is visible if you just skim a dozen from the app store's
images. And almost every single one has probably paid back the dev time it
took to make, if not through sales then through ads.

~~~
vynch
> And we aren't talking about clones of polished products here.

Well when I said "This is why I stick to iOS apps" I was actually referring to
the cloning of popular websites like quora,reddit etc.I am sorry if I did not
make that very clear.

>Lets take something with a bit less stigma.,Background-changing apps. There
are, what, 100+ of them?

Why take such an example when I have clearly agreed that it very easy to clone
such apps.

> There are dozens of clones of angry birds. Some of them as good or possibly
> better.

Hmm...now that makes me think !!

