This is a serious problem for lure manufacturers. I am friends with Doug Field who's family has manufactured the Buzz Bomb and other lures for years. They have been unable to patent many lures such as the Buzz Bomb because is is in essence only a lead shape and you can't patent a shape- or at least that's what Doug tells me. Many lures carry a warning about patent pending, but in some cases it has been pending for more than 40 years.

I noticed last years that another company is making essentially a copy of the Buzz Bomb. Doug says there is really nothing he can do.