Instagram copy to Snapchat, Snapchat copy to Instagram, this is the loop of the plagiarism of functions in social apps

Innovation in the world of technology is ephemeral, at least as far as exclusivity is concerned.The new features that an operating system or program incorporates are soon introduced by others that are, for more inri, their competence We could say that copy each other .One of the latter cases we have seen in social apps, an environment in which it has been verified as Instagram copied to Snapchat, which I copy Vine once... So we could continue in an almost infinite loop.

This is not exclusive to the world of programming also occurs in engineering or other areas. Call it copy, call it trend, etc .A very clear example is in motor sports.That a team takes out a new aileron that works better, everyone else gets to work to have the same thing.Here it is not valued that engineer had the idea, but it is about make this formula work on other equipment.

But in the world of computer science this has been going on since the beginning of time.They explain it very well in the movie Pirates of Silicon Valley , in which you can see how Apple and Microsoft are going copying concepts that Xerox had developed, for example the use of the graphical interface, something basic for the triumph of operating systems in personal computers.

Instagram copying to Snapchat

To put ourselves in the background it is necessary to know that Facebook tried to take Snapchat , as it did before with Instagram and WhastApp.The offer was 3,000 million, but the truth is that they did not reach a agreement.Snapchat preferred to keep their product independently.That is why, when Instagram launched Instagram Stories, a separate section where publish images and videos that were automatically deleted in 24 hours, everyone saw more than a guino to try to attract the generation of millennials among whom Snapchat triumphs.

These ephemeral Instagram videos and images are editable and annotations or drawings can be added , in addition to filters.The similarities are so evident that the Instagram CEO openly acknowledged that the Stories format was the same as Snapchat but adapted to its platform.It is not the first time that a social network incorporates features of others. How many social networks today have a Facebook-style wall? By the way, Facebook has also incorporated some of the Snapchat formats.

It's not the only one that has launched a feature that was triumphing on Snapchat.Twitter also recently announced that they could now add more emojis to their images and videos .It is true that it is not the same to make a copy of a feature that try to launch the format of another social network and try to phagocite it.Perhaps this is the key to the anger of many users for the launch of Instagram Stories.

The truth is that not much can be done about it.Being the interfaces of the Instagram Stories and Snapchat products, the copyrights or patents are not applicable , however much the The idea of ​​one is clearly inspired by the other.In order to claim "an idea theft", in addition to having the same functionality, the development and interface must be identical .

Anyway, is not the first time it happens .When Instagram saw the success of a platform like Vine , with its videos of only a few seconds, he decided to incorporate This same feature.Instagram videos were instantaneous and Vine continues to remain an independent platform, although perhaps not as strong as a couple of years ago.

It is also not applicable only to Instagram or Facebook, a company that everyone considers very innovative as Apple is also considering taking out an application similar to Snapchat .The truth is that success of the social application does not has gone unnoticed, so all the big ones have got to work to replicate their format.

WhatsApp copying to Snapchat and Telegram

But this is the same from other areas. WhatsApp has also copied to Snapchat or Telegram the possibility of drawing and adding stickers on photographs, a feature that the company is working on and will soon see the light In fact, WhatsApp, despite being a very popular messaging app, has always been far behind in features than its competitors.

Line's stickers or voice calls, Telegram's security, are some examples.They are features that other instant messaging applications have, but which in the case of WhatsApp has been gradually incorporated.In this sense, Its great guarantee is the wide community of users that support them, something similar to what happens with Instagram.

Snapchat copying to Instagram

But if in the end we think that Snapchat is a social network to share photos that we retouch through filters, the truth is that many might think that this is Instagram.It is true that Snapchat adds the ephemeral component to share images, videos, brushes, stickers...But, basically, you could also say that is a copy of the idea of ​​Instagram .

At least from the first idea of ​​Instagram, when it was a formula to share photos very quickly , using the filters so that the imperfections I had were concealed.Everything from the smartphone very easy, available to everyone, without being an expert in photography, then the thing has been complicated and the creative possibilities that Instagram offers us make people take much longer, work more image, etc..

This is what is avoided with Snapchat.After all, the photo will not be visible for more than a few seconds. This does not imply that you can not be very creative with the use of brushes and drawing, notes or stickers.Everything depends on the artistic sensibility of the user who takes and shares the photo.

In short, the important thing is not to copy an element of another network, a concept, but rather to do it better than the others for the public of each social network.As Picasso said:

«Great artists copy, geniuses steal»