Who looses in all the 'copy' business? Not just the small companies like mine, but the end user (angler).
How you may ask?
There are a lot of great baits that never get introduced into the market because of copy product. When I first gave Rob for free the first couple of Tripple Trout (Marc Higashi named the product), it was so new that even he did not grasp its fish catching potential. As he said, it had a very good swimming action. It is also an easy bait to copy, for many reasons. I and the creator of the product, Mr. Hayashi, debated if we should release the product at all.
The first ones, were of course carved of wood, before we sent the first 'polywood' one to Whitmer to make molds. I must say, that the wood ones are the bomb. Just like the old school wood Slammers, the swimming action and fish catching appeal is unreal. I did not release the wood version, because it would have been easily copied in Japan. We opted to make one out of Urathene 'Polywood'. Rob has one made of the Japanese Polywood, which is slightly different than the USA version. If you would like to see a wood, handcarved, unpainted TT, check out the bottom of my webpage:
www.bigbait.jp
My point is this, I have several prototype big baits that will never be released for this reason that my lawyers advise me that protecting the patents, trademarks, and other related issues would insure that the project (ie.lure) would not be successful financially. Many other makers of lures have lures they will not release.
316 Mickey came to Japan and stayed with me for two weeks. Being the Gentleman he is, he broght me a whole box full of prototype lures he has to this day not released (for many reasons). The lures are unreal; pure evil. I will not even post a pic of them, as I promised Mr. Ellis that I would not.
So, the system is what is is; I have not specific complaints. Let's just get back to the fishing thing and post positive, constructive things.
Oh, and do not bother offering money for one of my wood tripple trouts, any of the 70 plus Polywood tripple trouts in my BB boxes -none are for sale. I think I will have one of the wood ones painted up rainbow trout and give to Rob this summer--he is a man that deserves to fish such a weapon.
Good fishing,
Capt. G:-)

http://www.calfishing.com/dc/user_files/6803-image1490.jpg

"Known as the person who introduced swimbait fishing to Japan"

Attachment #1, (.jpg file)