How to deal with copycats in the era of AI

15/08/2025

If you create something original, sooner or later someone will try to take it. They might lift entire sections of your work, mimic your brand language, or launch a product suspiciously similar to yours. They might even claim they were "inspired" by you. The truth? They're taking a shortcut on the back of your effort. Raaah!

I've seen it happen in small ways and in bold, almost unbelievable ways. Back in 2013, a so-called friend registered a URL just different enough from mine to get away with it (literally swapped the words), copied my online course, and sold it at the exact same price. Months of my work, countless late nights, and a lot of heart were suddenly sitting on her website. And yes, it was infuriating. And utterly heartbreaking. The friendship didn't survive.

But here's the thing: after the initial jolt of anger, you get to choose how you handle it. You can waste weeks stewing over it, or you can decide exactly where your energy is going next.

Respond like you mean it

If the theft threatens your business, don't hesitate: get a good lawyer. Learn your rights. Have a cease and desist letter ready if you need it. The point isn't to become combative for the sake of it, but to be prepared so you're never caught flat-footed.

On that same note: sometimes it's worth the fight. Sometimes it's not. That decision belongs to you, not to the person who copied you. Also: in SOME cases it's actually a good idea (no joke) when someone steals something you created. I know, it's still infuriating. But there CAN BE a silver lining. You'll discover this a but further down on this page.

Your voice can't be stolen. Not even by AI. Because AI hasn't live your experience, and your identity is yours.

Keep your head in the game

First things first: copying happens because your work has value. If it didn't, no one would bother. Don't let someone else's lack of originality push you off your path. Protect your energy like it's a resource you can't afford to waste. Because I can tell you that it most definitely true.

And use your creativity to move. If they've cloned your product (I know, the horror), evolve it into something EVEN BETTER. If they've taken your idea, take it further than they ever could. When you keep creating, you make it impossible for them to keep up.

Your voice can't be stolen

Your skills, your style, the way you think and connect ideas. THAT'S your real advantage. No matter how close a copy gets to the surface of what you've made, they can't touch the years of experience, perspective, and instinct that live underneath it. And if your products and services come from deep within, from your own experience, it's part of your identity. NOBODY can steal your personal story without it reflecting bad onto themselves. Stay rooted in your own identity. Create from that source.

The AI reality

With AI, copying has gone into overdrive. Content can be scraped, reworded, and repackaged in seconds. That makes it even more important to build a body of work that is tied directly to your lived experience and personal perspective. Anyone can duplicate surface-level output. No one can duplicate a mind that keeps learning, adapting, and pushing forward.

Use AI as a tool to strengthen your own ideas, to push your thinking further, to develop angles no one else has. The stronger your voice, the less room copycats have to stand on.

Plot twist

The real danger isn't that someone will take what you've made. It's that you'll let them make you smaller. More guarded, less willing to put your work into the world. Afraid. Boxed in. That's the real loss. The win is in staying visible, staying creative, and refusing to let someone else's lack of originality dictate the size of your ambition.

So keep making. Keep sharing. Keep showing up. The copycats will always be there. But so will you. Don't let the Muggles get you down! And that's the difference.

Another plot twist!

Sometimes, sometimes, it CAN BE actually good idea if someone steals your product, headline or something else. Not because it's 'flattery', or 'validation of the quality of your idea'. No. You know why? Because - and feel free to take notes - TRUE CREATIVE MINDS ALWAYS, (ALWAYS!) THINK OF NEW ANGLES, PRODUCTS AND SOLUTIONS FOR THE PEOPLE THEY CARE ABOUT. And whilst your competitor is still all-in on the thing they stole, YOU'VE MOVED ON. And have a clear field of play.

And this, my friend, is your biggest advantage. Act upon what you know your people need something that only you can provide in YOUR way.