I think this quote from smooth distills the essence of SDC rather effectively.
There are no other cryptonote-based coins in the top 100 on coinmarketcap besides XMR and BCN.
SDC uses a cryptonote-based design for their anonymous tokens, which is a bit different in terms of coin design and doesn't share code but the cryptography is almost identical.
They call it "zero knowledge solution" though.
Perhaps that is self descriptive.
I think SDC is not just a copy of cryptonote. Its more complicated and cryptonote tech is just one of the pieces of the puzzle. When Satoshi built bitcoin, he didn't invent any new tech either. All he did was put existing technical puzzle pieces together in a way that created a powerful incentive system. The incentive system is the brilliance behind Bitcoin. ShadowCash is doing a similar thing, putting the puzzle pieces together in a brilliant way.
Also soon Isidor Zeuner will have his review out on ShadowCash, which compares Shadow to cryptonote and other schemes, showing their similarities and differences, so that may put an end to the debate.
This indeed would be freaking great, that was I waiting for. Keep us updated !