Airbnb (YC W09) Freaks Out Over Samwer Clones | Hacker News Reader

Airbnb (YC W09) Freaks Out Over Samwer Clones

techcrunch.com

2 pointsGeoffreyHull3 comments

So what's the difference between a clone and a legitimate competitor? I'm not sure I understand...

From the article:

    * They falsely claim to be affiliated with Airbnb, or be the “international version” of Airbnb.
    * They claim that they are part of Ebay and/or Groupon. We’ve confirmed that this is not the case.
    * Their employees pretend to be Airbnb travelers in order to give you a sales pitch in your home.
    * They are duplicating personal profiles, descriptions, and photos of your Airbnb listing without your permission.

So competitors need only eliminate the unscrupulous practices to avoid being considered clones? Seems like a dubious distinction at best.

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