You and I have been working with online courses, marketing, and social media content for a while, right? Or maybe you are new. If so, just wait—all of a sudden, you have been online for years and years. Time flies when you do what you love.
(Can you believe it’s been over five years in my case?! – I am writing this in May 2025…)
Competition demands excellent quality – technology makes it easier and harder to do…
Running an online business is challenging for everyone—new or experienced—whether you’re a solo entrepreneur or working for someone else. Every minute that you put into your work and products is important. The requirement of being efficient all the time and the pressure from our competition are true motivations that can lead to awesome business and career opportunities, including the recognition and money that follows.
But how do you find the Balance in your online business?
You probably want to create work that your customers love and that sells like crazy, so it can bring you income and your customers the solutions they need from you. However, it’s easy to become afraid of taking risks and settle for “good enough.” In a competitive market, your motivation can go up and down quickly, especially when you have a long to-do list on your desk (and at home)…
Quality, efficiency, or losing it all to copycats?
It’s discouraging to know that others can easily copy your online business. Tools like ChatGPT and other AI make it tempting for others to use your original texts, images, and content. It even makes it easier to make your great products faster, at the cost of possibly making more generic contact, that does not sound or look like you.
I use AI in my daily work, but mainly as an assistant, and there is a reason for it.
I will elaborate a bit on that in this and more in another blog post, but for now, let me tell you this: The law does reward human creativity and contribution to society. Mass production of similar content is not necessarily what they intended. So, if you want the ability to own the content and products that you create in your online business, remember that!
Make your online business, products, and content last for longer!
We all know that the most efficient and enjoyable way to make an impact is to focus on your work for your customers, not on the “get rich fast” trend we are tempted by on social media.
Most of us know that creating useful products is not done in an afternoon; it requires thinking, creativity, teaching, and communication skills. When the fear of being copied or imitated by your competition kicks in, you may get so overwhelmed that you’re creativity gets sucked into a little hole in the ground – and never gets back.
But here’s a great take-home message: It does not have to feel or look like that. You can prevent and stop copies, so your work rewards you with an excellent reputation and income!
So, when you decide to ditch the templates and AI prompts – or at least only to use them to get an easier start on things- you are ready to make your work generate revenue for you, for as long as possible, turning into an authentic and meaningful “return on investment” and a good business case!
This also means you must protect the work you put into your—or your boss’s—online business!
I understand that copies, plagiarism, and even close imitations may seem like something “you just have to live with” when running an online business.
Tools like scraping bots, Chat-GPT, and the like are fantastic innovations—unless misused for less scrupulous purposes.
Therefore, it’s critical to recognize the inherent value of your self-created, developed, and fine-tuned content.
Is copying a genuine threat to my online business?
Let’s face it: The digital and online products, including your business’s marketing and promotional content, risk being cloned.
Consider students or customers who might repurpose your meticulously designed freebies or purchased products for their newsletters or offerings. Indeed, you’ve felt that sting of recognition when noticing such familiar content elsewhere.
You might think, “But Gyde, this doesn’t apply to me.“
I sincerely hope you’re correct.
But the risk is real. (Apologies for being the bearer of unwelcome news.)
Why?
The statistics repeatedly highlight it: The threat of being copied—or accused of copying—is significant, particularly for small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs).
A startling revelation from a study by the EUIPO in early 2023 indicates that one in three European SMEs affected by intellectual property infringement could face bankruptcy within five years. The EUIPO Scoreboard 2022, released last September, paints a grim picture, detailing the negative impacts on businesses, including reduced turnover, reputational damage, and lost competitiveness.
What can you do about it – in your online business or service business?
The prospect might seem daunting initially, but there’s a silver lining. Even with limited resources, you can do much to prevent copying.
And what’s even better, many preventive measures won’t cost you a dime.
In the long run, taking action now can save you money, your reputation, and revenue.
In this post, I’ll share four proactive steps you can implement immediately to minimize the risk of copycat incidents and accusations of infringement, helping keep those copycats at bay.
#1 Educate Your Audience on Ownership
In the digital world, just as in the physical one, clear boundaries can significantly reduce the risk of copying your online business.
Online products and marketing materials are incredibly valuable, like the blog posts that engage your readers and the freebies that hook your customers. 🤑🪙💰💵
However, overlooking a copy, or even worse, accepting it as a compliment, only emboldens the copiers to continue their infringement.
If you’re uncertain about your rights, your competitors and customers will likely be. Hence, the first action is to educate yourself and communicate your rights to others.
Solid self-assurance and direct communication may clash with some people’s perspectives, but remember, their discomfort is not your issue. Your business, income, and value deserve respect, and there are numerous ways to convey this message politely yet effectively.
Educating your audience also means understanding your rights and learning to enforce them legally through three key avenues:
-🧡Copyrights
-🧡Trademarks
-🧡The Marketing Act
#2 Create Unique, Rights-Generating Products
To establish a robust defense against copying, your products must be unique enough to warrant intellectual property rights.
This doesn’t mean you need to reinvent the wheel, but perhaps ‘redecorate’ it slightly to stand out. Ensure your products are distinctive—in their design, unique tone of voice, brand names, colors, watermarks, etc.
→ By adding your flair, you improve your chances of securing copyrights and other related rights.
Moreover, selecting a unique brand or product name that can be trademarked and using consistent brand colors and voice make it much harder for a competitor to replicate your content without getting caught.
#3 Be Cautious with Templates and AI Tools
Templates and AI-generated content, such as that produced by Chat-GPT, are currently the rage. They can be incredibly powerful, but using them requires strategy.
Overreliance on letting “the machine” do the work can weaken your claim to unique content, which is essential when protecting your property in cases of copying.
You can not expect to work very little for your business and simultaneously achieve rights that reward ingenuity, creativity, and originality that only the human brain can achieve.
Am I against Chat-GPT?
No. Let’s get that out of the way. It is a brilliant tool if you understand how to use it to strengthen your business (or online business) instead of weakening potential intellectual property rights protection.
I posted about it on Instagram a while ago and plan to elaborate here and on my blog ( English post: LINK, Danish post: LINK).
So, what does this mean in terms of #3? This third checkpoint on our online business checklist against copycats is to use templates and Chat-GPT (everything you do not create yourself!) cautiously!
You must understand that when you use templates, which were remarkable before Chat-GPT, and when you use Chat-GPT and other AI options, it may dilute your ability to claim intellectual property rights to content created via these tools.
Subsequently, it can be a challenge to stop a copy—because did they copy you, infringe on your rights, or not?!
#4 Act Now with one of my online courses or sparring sessions (if they are available)
I was excited to introduce the Danish online course “Stop Tyven” pakken (currently unavailable for purchase) a while ago. It’s a comprehensive solution for preventing copies of your material, especially for solo entrepreneurs with an online presence, small businesses, business owners, online course creators, or other digital entrepreneurs who are fed up with thieving competitors.
I hear you; Most entrepreneurs consider protection tasks tedious and equally exciting as accounting or taxes. Still, once infringement occurs, they quickly realize its importance and the regret, when knowing that they could have done more (easily with investing in PATENTsmarter™’s “Stop Tyven”-pakken which I am updating at the moment, which is why you can not invest in it – but reach out if you need help.)
Let me explain why preventive actions are so necessary…
Paul’s story illustrates this point.
After the infringer copied his content, he resisted the urge to confront the infringer directly, instead seeking legal guidance to handle the situation. He jumped at the chance to access the “Stop Tyven”-pakken early—when we discussed future preventive measures. He jumped right into the modules, downloads, and video lessons that helped him prep once and use templates and checklists two minutes per week, month, or when he produced content.
This is a significant relief, not just for Paul but for any online entrepreneur who doesn’t want to see other people share the work they have put into content, presentations, knowledge products, or designs as their own. It equipped him with confidence and better workflow practices, which help him deter future copycats. Or to stop them, if they just can’t let the temptation go.
This package is a unique, not-to-be-found-anywhere-else offer that I’ve crafted to fill a gap in the market. So, if you want to sign up for the newsletter and be informed once it is back (or available in English)—likely under a new name—then send me an e-mail: Click here to open your mail program.
I know it’s a bit old-fashioned to do it this way, but I am too busy to set up a valuable Newsletter welcome funnel for you.
Secure Your Online Business Now → Before It’s Too Late.
Don’t wait until something happens—99% of people reach out to me, do! Invest in your creations daily and don’t spend a minute or two protecting them—it can cost you dearly!
→ Being proactive helps prevent embarrassing or expensive plagiarism and misunderstandings. Start preparing for a professional response that swiftly and effectively addresses the business-stealing copycat situation. It’s a conflict, so it will never be fun. Still, it’s incredibly satisfying to know what to do and to calm your nerves, knowing that you are minimizing potential damage to your reputation, revenue, and legal expenses.
Let’s find a way to get your routines to include IP Strategies, which may sound daunting, but aren’t bad. I promise that safeguarding your online business against the pitfalls of copying and keeping your digital assets secure in a world where replicating content is all too easy is much easier than you may think.
With super easy and simple templates, checklists, keyboard shortcuts, frameworks and so much more, that I created – not only within the “STOP TYVEN”-pakken, I can give you the structure an “panic plan” that will make you sleep like a baby, even when thinking of evil copycats right before bedtime.
Reach out to start your smooth ride. Adapt templates and workflows to your business and what you already do, and make money on your products and content much longer (because the copycat isn’t stealing your market share!).. Take control of your creations’ destiny with PATENTsmarter™ and ensure your business thrives in the ever-expanding digital marketplace.
Invest in protections – before it’s too late!
This post was published in November 2023 and has been updated since. The date on this post tells you when it was last updated.
