Just saw an IG post from the owner of a popular JDM site (trying to follow the rules here and not come off as promoting the site) where apparently Rapala has done some sort of blatant rip-off of a bait.  I’m too dam curious I got to figure it out, anyone have any idea what jdm lure rapala is copying?

At this point isn’t every bait a rip off of another bait? Is every crankbait on the market a rip off of the original crankbait? Is every ribbon tail worm a ripoff of the original worm? How long does something have to be on the market before it’s no longer considered a rip off? Is every hamburger restaurant a rip off because they didn’t invent the hamburger? 

Very curious first post. ?

Hmmm ?

Rapala becoming one of the bad boys……?…..but it will probably work. 

2 hours ago, Jar11591 said:

At this point isn’t every bait a rip off of another bait? Is every crankbait on the market a rip off of the original crankbait? Is every ribbon tail worm a ripoff of the original worm? How long does something have to be on the market before it’s no longer considered a rip off? Is every hamburger restaurant a rip off because they didn’t invent the hamburger? 

I totally get this but from the looks of the post I’m referring to, it goes beyond simply another bait in the established categories.  It seems to be a very specific imitation and blatant enough to tick off this popular guy who’s become sort of a spokesman for jdm stuff.  Maybe we’ll find out soon enough, I just thought someone here might already know what it is. 

1 hour ago, Tennessee Boy said:

Very curious first post. ?

You’re right I thought the same but I’m really not promoting anything, I just had a moment of being too curious that it made me finally post.  For what it’s worth I have a ton of rapala stuff and do believe them to be one of the best lure brands ever, though lately also buying a bunch of jdm stuff.

Most all the baits we use are a variation of something that's been around for a while. They might be improved to a degree, but there's really nothing new in bass lures. Some are based on baits that are 50 yrs old or older.

everybody is ripping off people.  i think i see innovation coming out of Japan, but that is about it these days.

 

what other country took a rubber dice, gave it fuzz and sells it out repeatedly? look for a fuzzy dungeons and dragons 8 sided fuzzy dice coming soon from Rage.  hahahah.

If, and that’s a big if, you copyright a bait you have a basis to go after knockoffs.  In order to avoid copyright infringement you have to differ from the copyrighted product by a certain percentage.  Owning a copyright you have to renew it on a regular basis or you lose the right to defend it.  Yamamoto let the copyright expire on the Senko and look where we are now.  ZMan was pretty well known for sending cease and desist letters from attorneys to copiers of the original chatterbait.  I don’t know if they are still defending it so actively.  Yamamoto had to retool one of its creature baits due to a copyright infringement lawsuit.  Also takes a lot of $$ to go after and defend a copyright infringement case so a lot don’t bother. 

my sister is a patent attorney.  the stories she tells are actually pretty boring.

 

i try my best to fork money over for originals.  

Hope to see some innovation in their soft plastic lineup. 

If I had to guess what lure it is, I would say it's probably the new Countdown Elite. There are several JDM trout baits that look like it.

I want to see it

Copy Rights only protect the name, patent protects the design for each country who agrees to US and foreign patents.

Strike King has copied dozens of original design lures.

Tom

I bet it's a Megabass 110 ripoff

I'd buy it

There is nothing new under the sun.

1 hour ago, waymont said:

I bet it's a Megabass 110 ripoff

I'd buy it

There a few JBs that use the Vision 110 mold.

Just now, GetFishorDieTryin said:

There a few JBs that use the Vision 110 mold.

Yep - one I got in a crappie pattern from a small-output guy is a V-110 clone.

36 minutes ago, T-Billy said:

There is nothing new under the sun.

Off the top of my head… cover scat, osp dice, hellraizer, geecrack bellows line, chatterbait, rapala brat, Shimano flash boost, Dolive beaver, I know some og/ Randy blaukat type will come in here and say they been fishing those things with their pa since the 50s.  Tons of terminal tackle too that doesn’t get the attention it deserves cuz it seems boring but I appreciate the thought and effort that goes into the random little things even if it isn’t always successful… For non bait monkeys it’s all the same, but I think anyone in this sub forum can appreciate the subtle differences, however ridiculous it may seem to normal people. 

Subtle evolution/variation vs. something entirely new is a fun debate. 

8 minutes ago, J Francho said:

Subtle evolution/variation vs. something entirely new is a fun debate. 

Not sure if sarcasm but as a mod you’d be justified if you see these same threads all the time (sorry).  The examples I listed above are just an evolutions/ variations… i guess the debates/ conflict among people come from everyone’s different definitions of where line is between evolution/ variation vs entirely new.  And also, the question of “should only entirely new designs be protected from copying” (or ridiculed if copied)… personally I would argue that we probably won’t see entirely new genres (topwater/cranks/soft plastics/jigs, etc), in that regard then it’s true “there’s nothing new” and likely there won’t be a new genre of baits except maybe once every decade or two.  So now we can only zoom in on the features and treat the seemingly minor evolutions/ variations as “something entirely new”, and worth considering when determining if a company is being malicious in their intent.  Sure there’s only so many ways a crankbait can be shaped or the size/ angle of the lip, but say, adding a constantly vibrating flashing piece of fancy foil inside a hardbait was innovative enough imo to warrant any other brand doing the same to be considered a ripoff.  
 

Back to my original post, I just found it interesting because rapala, probably one of the most OG/popular brands, was called out by one of the guys doing the most work to convert Americans onto new/ innovative designs.

If you're talking about who I think you are, it's funny because he's shown new JDM baits in the past that looked like blatant rip-offs of a current bait, and says nothing about it. Lol.

Americans? We are only interested in bass anglers regardless of nationality. 

Lures continually evolve and get cloned along the way but few out perform the originals, the that do are stand outs.

Rapala introduced the “Finland” lure that became the original Rapala Floating Minnow, balsa wood with foil finish.

How many Senko copies have been cloned....

Tom 

7 minutes ago, NorthernBasser said:

If you're talking about who I think you are, it's funny because he's shown new JDM baits in the past that looked like blatant rip-offs of a current bait, and says nothing about it. Lol.

Ha, fair enough! I’ve definitely seen this a few times too.