Isn't the usual refrain "the idea is useless, it's the execution that matters"? Or does that only apply when it's a startup and not a big evil company?
That doesn't really apply when the execution is cloned as well. This phrase typically implies that there is a way to make a mark on a product beyond the initial idea. Marketing and leveraging existing user base is not a laudable contribution.
I didn't say his execution was a laudable contribution. I said it was impressive. Although if it's true he cloned other companies, why did Zynga beat them in revenue and investment? Clearly something was different with Zynga.
They were lucky to get big takeup on one of the properties that they then leveraged into the clones. "Behind every great fortune is a crime," and Pyngus' crimes in user-exploitation and idea-theft are well-documented.
If your execution can be so easily cloned, where's the value?