I keep banging this drum.
And, I will keep banging it until the incessant copycatting of my emails ceases. I’ve even decided to take legal action after talking to a lawyer. Since these thieves obviously can’t be bothered to read the “copyright” notice on the bottom of each email, I’m sure they’ll read the official legal papers telling them I’m nailing them for up to $150k per infraction.
(Hey, it could be that next stream of income I’ve been looking for…)
For one, stealing is illegal.
For another, it’s dumb.
Really dumb.
So dumb, it makes the guys in the movie “Dumb & Dumber” look like jeeniuses.
Why do I say this?
Because it can completely destroy your reputation in a heartbeat.
Goo-roo fanboys stealing my emails while selling to the Internet marketing crowd are especially making asses out of themselves and throwing money away. (One blue light special even used one of my emails to sell another email system, the owner of that system looks like an idiot now and is — rightfully — PO’d at the thief who did it). I know who many of the thieves are now, as people on their own lists are sending me the copycatted emails (which are now being forwarded to my legal “shark” each day). And people (literally) tell me “I thought this guy was legit but he’s stealing your material Ben, I was going to buy his product but not now…”
Yep, I get emails saying that exact thing.
And it brings a warm cockle to my heart, too.
After all, it shows my system — www.EmailPlayers.com — goes beyond words (what the thieves THINK is what is making the sales), and builds trust, loyalty and a list of people who have my back.
You can’t get that being a thief.
You gotta be an original, baby.
More:
Stealing/copycatting can get you fired if you’re writing for clients.
Or, even worse, get your client in legal trouble.
In fact, check out this email I got from a subscriber last week:
(Names have been removed to protect the guilty… for now…)
Dear Ben:
I enjoy your emails, Dr. —- not so much. He keeps sending me stuff roughly based on your emails (not much of a problem here, imitating the best) but some are exactly your words. I realize you’ve written stuff for _____, which I enjoy, but is Dr. — a client–or is he just blatantly plagiarizing your emails? I find it hard to take advice, or buy products from someone who plagiarizes someone elses material without permission. Dr. — holds himself out as a leading consultant to the _____ profession, but I think he owes our profession (and you) a big apology if he is just stealing your stuff. So, could you please clarify whether he is a client with permission to use your emails, or just another thief?
If there’s one customer saying this, there’s a dozen.
Maybe several dozen.
Maybe even hundreds, if your list is big.
All those potential sales and your reputation… GONE.
Pissed away by laziness.
By lack of ethics.
And, by lack of a ball sac, IMHO.
Hey, laziness doesn’t cut it.
And being in a “hurry” doesn’t excuse it.
(That’s like pick-pocketing a pedestrian on the street and then your rationalization hamster justifying it by saying it’s okay ‘cuz you were in a hurry…)
Not only will I nail you (for up to $150k bones a shot).
But, your customers will nail you, too.
(And tell others to avoid you…)
Over time, that’s even more expensive.
OK enough.
I’m teaching people how to stand on their own two feet with email each month.
And I’m doing it in “Email Players”.
Yes, you can write profitable emails without stealing.
Without struggling.
And, without spending a lot of time writing.
It’s easier than you think, too.
Here’s where to go next:
Ben Settle
