Picasso once said that – ‘good artists copy, great artists steal’— and since he said that back in the early 1900’s it has become one of the most quoted lines in the creative community. It also might be one of only a few times where you can justify stealing. But we in the creative community do not do it nearly often enough. We need to steal more (legally). Here’s how most successful small businesses steal and avoid litigation.
How do Most Successful Small Businesses Get Away With Stealing?
What other people call ‘stealing’ or ‘plagiarizing’ in the creative community amounts to stealing. The thief or plagiarist takes an idea from another company or individual and copies it, contributing nothing of worth. Meanwhile, most successful small businesses take ideas from other companies and turn them into their own product. Apple did this with great success while Steve Jobs was at the helm and they were able to take existing technologies and turn it into a groundbreaking product (iPod, iPhone, iPad, etc.). As a small business you are probably not expecting to launch the next iPhone but your goals are probably similar to Apple’s; you simply want to be one of the most successful small businesses in your industry. To be the best you are going to have follow the map laid out by your groundbreaking predecessors. You must steal, not copy, but how do you tell which one you are doing? The most creative solutions come from projects that excite you and your employees. That passion and excitement is what drives most successful small businesses. When Steve Jobs first brought the idea of the iMac to his team he was bringing them the impossible (and it almost was) but his passion inspired them to soldier on. Together their crew created one of the most iconic computers in history. Those projects are never easy and you will likely have to adopt a few ideas from other sources to get your project done on time and on budget. But, the ideas you do adopt will be part of the greater whole of the project and will help you become one of the most successful small businesses in your industry. If the sole focus of your product is eerily similar to an existing idea, then you may want to re-evaluate your intentions for this product as the completed project could bring on some legal headaches. It is a fine balance. One that most successful businesses have to weigh all the time whether they are designing websites, starting a business blog or utilizing social media marketing. If you would like to talk about the fine difference between stealing and plagiarism or if you have any further questions about web design please feel free to give us a call at 516-535-5353 or e-mail us at sales@fatguymedia.com.
