Stolen Shooting Designs

I woke up this morning like most days. I made coffee, fired up my computer, and got ready to draft an article.

Before I began, I decided to browse online shooting sites. Then I saw it! A company had blatantly stolen one of my acquaintance’s shooting designs. (They stole SEB Shooting Rests design) They didn’t even attempt to camouflage their deceit.

The day just got interesting. I will dissect the issue.

A few years ago, my team had been working on a prototype. I wasn’t trying to reinvent the wheel; we were merely modifying my gear to operate more efficiently. In the process, we stumbled upon an original concept.

I never planned to market the design, but I became concerned that someone else might borrow the idea. Especially after witnessing it being photographed at matches on more than one occasion. Often, I would see people standing around it, looking at it, and having conversations with each other.

When I was younger, someone stole one of my concepts and made a pile of cash off it (no joke). Hell, I could have had a half-million in my bank account before I was 21. That’s okay. It’s going to be quite warm where they are headed.

I decided to play it safe and apply for a patent this time. That’s when reality hit me.

At some point in time, lawyers dug their claws deep into the patent process. I was shocked to learn the cost of acquiring one. It was going to set us back upwards of $4000.

An acquaintance said to me, “You think that’s bad? Wait until you get the bill for trying to defend a patent.”

Herein lies the problem. It is not financially viable in most cases to apply for a patent unless you have deep pockets.

If you apply for a license, the design is probably obsolete or has already been stolen/copied by the time you finally receive it. This set’s the stage for multiple stolen shooting designs.

Unfortunately, the lawyered-up patent process creates a free-for-all environment. I’ve seen stolen shooting designs multiple times this year.

Keep in mind:  Producing add-ons or upgrades to an existing model is not theft. Not only is it not frowned upon; in most cases, it has the blessing of the original designer.

All in all, it’s no surprise the number of stolen shooting designs that are out there. I guess it boils down to how much self-respect someone has. I wouldn’t do that, but I don’t pay their bills.

In short, don’t be a dirtbag and steal someone else’s hard work if you don’t possess an original thought. Maybe your talent would be better utilized elsewhere (LOL).

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