... and the means to protect it!

Intellectual property isn't the most exciting topic, though I think many won't be how aware of how much it intersects with our daily lives. From copyright, to design registration, patents to trademarks, every business, big and small, has to navigate this tricky world. In light of the recent success of the Bounce Curl brush, and the subsequent cheap knockoffs and copies, I thought I would share a little about what it is like to have a brilliant idea, and then have to fend off people trying to take a slice of your success. 

When I first shared the BamBonn a lot of people said how amazing it was, but also that I should make sure to protect it. It's easier said than done, but I invested a lot of time and money to protect both my brand and the BamBonn design. It is a costly and arduous process, but I can confidently say that it has been worth it.

Nothing could have prepared me for the feeling you get when that message drops into your inbox 'hey, have you seen this?' An obvious copy, no ambiguity, no grey area, something you have sacrificed everything for, YOUR original idea, being sold by someone else. I can count on one hand the times that it has happened, but each time it gets worse, the sick feeling in the pit of your stomach, the pounding of your heart, the rage, the sadness, the panic, that someone is going to take everything that you have built. Fortunately I can count on no hands how many times someone has gotten away with it. The cost is massive. The sleepless nights, snapping at my loved ones, being stuck in limbo until it is resolved one way or the other, not to mention the tens of thousands of pounds that I have spent. It won't ever stop, I will always have to be vigilant, but I have no choice, this is everything to me, I built it from nothing, it is mine and I can't let anyone take that from me. 

So think of that, the next time you are tempted by a 'dupe', remember that ideas are more than just pound signs, they are someones hopes, their dedication, the results of years of trial and error, of learning and growing. Also remember that there is a big secondhand market for pretty much anything!

They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, unless you are a small business, then it is the sincerest form of f***ery! 

Emily xXx