OurielOhayon

The Copy/Paste Web

I have been observing that for a while hesitating to publish the thought, but today, i decided to push the button. Since i am the web industry (nearly 10 years) i realized that very few companies are really innovating. They basically drive the industry which is simply following up, creating variations or simple copies of the original model. Yahoo invented the portal, ICQ instant messenger, Amazon e-commerce supermarket with their famous tab structure, Google re-invented search (Inktomi and Altavista were the pioneers)...Sometime you don't invent a practice but you set a standard: Facebook for example with social networks or Skype for Voip

The same goes with smaller companies but also with blogs. I have just read an article of ParisLemon on ArsTechnica copying other blogs (there are many other examples like this). Since i started with Techcrunch, i have seen around me this happen so many times, including people that are trying to follow the same path as i did, by writting for big blogs or just taking what i do on techcrunch france and replicating it on their own blog. I have no problem with that (i also "copy" when the idea is good). This is how it works. Other get inspired by others.

I have no problem with that unless you don't mention the credit to the original model or standard, and unless it starts to hurt your own business.

There are clear cases when the law can interfere to stop someone from copying what you do. That's what copyrights law are made for. There are also some cases when it is not so clear it is worth launching a legal war and sometimes an email/ conversation can solve the issue. I see that happens all the time: a logo that is too close, a website design to similar.

I'll give you an example of the copy/paste nature of the web with a company we have invested in. Outbrain is providing a rating system with a block or related posts for bloggers and readers. You can see that block in my own blog at the bottom of most posts (You can also see it on VentureBeat, CenterNetworks and other big blogs). Here is a screenshot below



It was launched about a year ago. I discovered less than 6 months ago that a startup called Zemanta was offering exactly the same feature, with the same design, in the same real estate. It is hard to believe they did this without copying Outbrain's model. Here is below a screenshot of Zemanta's widget you can see from Fred Wilson's blog (note Fred Wilson has nothing to do with that of course).


I hope Zemanta will change that in order to avoid user/partner's confusion. Again i don't care if someone get inspired by someone, as long as it is done correctly without a clear intention of ripp off and of course without consideration for legal rules but also for respect for users and business partners. Doing business honestly is important on the web also.



Technorati Tags: zemanta outbrain copycat copy blogs

The Laptop/Bathroom situation

I wanted to write this post for a long time but i have just read this great article in Wired about what you should/could do when you work in a cafe with your laptop and that suddenly mother nature calls you to your duties. Working myself often in Cafes in Israel or Abroad i perfectly know the situation. In the article the writer mentions 5 solutions that do not work for me.

1. Solution 1: Leave it there on the table

2. Solution 2: Ask the person next to me to keep an eye it

3. Solution 3: Bring it in with me

4. Solution 4: Bring everything in with me

5. Solution 5: Lock the thing up

Here is my advice: for me the only thing that works, is to take care of what should be taken care of BEFORE you sit down. You might be afraid to lose this great table you spotted. I just ask someone to keep me the place and we re done.

Sorry for the unusual interruption of the blog, you can go back to work

Israel wins first Grand Slam title ever

Mazal tov to Jonathan Elrich and Andy Ram who won against France a Tennis Grand Slam title. (in both cases i would have been happy but i must say i am happier in this way).

After Music, Coffee, Food, Fashion, Tv Show, Movies, Sport is a new category of international non high tech israeli successes. This is good. Very Good.

Why? Because it gives a different and positive opportunity to talk about this great country.

Technorati tags: tennis, israel, grand slam

Video: One of the most inspiring speech i have ever heard

A must see for all entrepreneurs. Actually for anyone. By Steve Jobs of course.

Technorati tags: stevejobs, apple, stanford

Update on promoting music and Yaron Herman's new upcoming album

After the first steps, Here are the last action items i have done to explore further with the promotion of upcoming Yaron Herman's new album

• I have updated his last.fm page and created a radio of similar artists (see below)
• i have created a wikipedia page (awaiting moderation)
• I have contacted a few a-list jazz blog one on one to offer exclusive material and arrange a podcast with the artist. One has responded
• i have asked yaron to give me some off-side background on the tracks he recorded and will use it in a few ways soon.
• by writing and posting material here and there the rank of my blogs and other accounts has taken a good position in Google

I believe all those actions will eventually serve his new album and his career in general. I also believe the future of marketing music will be online, but this is a very time consuming process and it has to be done by internet savvy guys. The main difficulty i see for a young artists is that there is no ONE CLEAR channel for promotion and you have to shoot in many different platforms before learning what works best

 

More insights and actions coming soon.

Technorati Tags: yaron herman, atimeforeverything, online music, wikipedia

HEC 1st european Business school in 2006

Seen at Jeremy’s blog. weird that INSEAD is only #10. Source Financial Times. Downloadable here.

Don't Miss "LEWEB3" conference in Paris 11/12 dec

TechCrunch is co-hosting a web conference in Paris organized by SixApart.

The name of this conference is LE WEB3 and will be all dedicated to the new web and its eco system

1000 bloggers/startupers/vcs/…are expected from all over the world.

My friend Loic is working like crazy to put together what is promised to be the best web event in europe this year.

It will take place 11/12 december in Paris. Programm is not out there yet.

Buti have seen a preview of panels and speakers and it’s a killer. Already 63 confirmed participants

To register get here.

IN THE HONG KONG PRESS VS MSN

Always weird to see my name in the Chinese press. i have been recently interviewed by a few Hong Kong NewsPapers. Here in the Hong Kong Economic Digest. The guy in front of me in the article is the boss of MSN hong kong. MSN is doing a great job there. But ICQ is still leading the way.

For those like me who do not understand a word of traditional chinese, the article is about how great, innovative and strong ICQ is….It is not talking about me…Thank GOD!

DON'T MISS GO4EUROPE

My friend Laurent Salimpour is CEO of Cukierman real estate an Israel-based corporation dedicated to corporate investment, real estate investment banking and asset management mainly in Europe. He is organizing a great VIP event in Tel Aviv next 6th Feb 2006: GO4EUROPE

It is a forum dedicated to business and investment in Europe and all kinds of “Stars” should be present including Nicolas Sarkozy, the french interior minister and all kinds of leaders from VC world and Investment Banking.

Merger and aquisition, Real estate, Strategic alliances in Europe will be covered topics but mainly it will be a great opportunity for networking. An event you should not miss if you are around

• For more information on Go4Europe this is here
• For registrations it is here
• For more information on Cukierman Real Estate this is here or laurent.s [at] cukierman.co.il

ANTICIPATING A BRAND CLASH BETWEEN WANADOO AND MICROSOFT

We all heard about the new Microsoft Live strategy: including Live.com (portal) and Live Messenger (replacing Msn messenger brand). But did you know that for some months now, Wanadoo, one of the largest ISP in Europe, has released an Instant Messenger called Livecom?

I would be very very surprised if a legal battle will not happen in the courtyard. Unless one of them changes name… 

The most funny thing does not stop here. It would not be the first time France Telelcom (parent company of Wanadoo) would face a problem like this. A few years ago they were condemned to abandon their slogan “Bienvenue dans la vie.com” (Welcome to life.com) because lavie.com was the name of a small web agency in France. And again it was about life and .com …Would history repeat itself?

tags technorati : Windows Wanadoo Live Livecom
tags del.icio.us : Windows Wanadoo Live Livecom
tags icerocket : Windows Wanadoo Live Livecom