Key Idea #5: Stand your ground.

Bob Tarcea is one of the nicest people we have ever met. His product helps thousands of parents communicate with their baby before the baby is able to form words. His product is also extremely valuable in hospitals where children are too sick to speak.

Topic for discussion: Why would anybody steal from him?

Answer: Because the Internet makes stealing quick, easy, free and anonymous. Another reason people steal from Bob is that they feel they are doing wholesome good work. They are daycare workers or nurses in hospitals or parents on a tight budget who are just getting by. All of these potential customers think that Bob doesn't need their $50. And, of course Bob doesn't need their $50 but that is not the point. The point is when a social worker makes a copy of Bob's flashcards, she is stealing the same as if she walked into a store and stole the same set of flash cards.

We remember working in our church when the copy machine became affordable enough for the church office to have one. It was very tempting to make copies of music so we wouldn't have to pay full price for every choir member to have their own music. But to my knowledge, no one on our church staff and no member of the choir ever did this. What held us back? We argue that inside this group there was a deep sense of what was right and what was wrong. We also argue that this type of stealing would be obvious and could not be anonymous which is one of the biggest reasons that Internet theft is so insidious.

Don't feel sorry for the thieves. No matter who your customers are, they need to pay for your products and services. Stand your ground because poverty is not an excuse. There are many ways for people who are too poor to purchase products and services to have access to them without stealing. You can give discounts or give away out-of-print materials that are lying around but don't let people steal because you feel sorry for them. It perpetuates a break down of our moral fiber. It sets a precedent that is not good for any of us.

The good news is that if people are stealing from you it tells you that you're on to something good. Walt Disney said he was complimented by people who copied him. Whatever they stole from him was old because he was always working on the next analog world as Disney was able to make his profits on a product before others could copy him. In the digital world, if the Disney leadership did not fight to protect its brand, it would lose big bucks. As a member of the Motion Picture Association, Disney has fought. Mark Litvack told us about the incident in 1998 when he discovered 24 million pirated copies of American films while representing the Motion Picture Association. The MPA was able to shut down that particular pirate but more keep popping up. As Steve Weinstein said, "Everyone is fighting to get something for free."

You think about it: Do you know if anyone is stealing from you now? If so, what are you going to do about it?