Actually, there is nothing wrong with copying ideas (not talking about patents, trademarks, etc.). Many successful people use the concept of modeling, where you find someone who has done what you want to do, and copy them. Tony Robbins talks about this in one of his books (forget which one). I've done it for years. I always try and learn new ideas from people more experienced than me and adopt various things they do.
But at the end of the day, it's about integrity, the pursuit of excellence, hard work, and customer service, for the most part. Doesn't really matter what kind of work you do.