Personal work used without permission, and tides turned.
- Thread starter mardellion
- Start date
You have all right to seek compensation for using your work. The production house is making things difficult for you. You should seek a lawyer to make a claim for you if you can proof the work is yours. Singapore is a law and order country hence seeking compensation for using your work without approval is a win situation. I worked in China and a few years back I saw a poster in the subway using my picture without my approval. All I did was to take a photo of the poster with my iPhone and send a letter to the company.
All they did was to ask me to provide a proof of my ownership. I email them a copy of my raw photo and seek compensation for a disclosed sum of money. I did not even engaged a lawyer and in my letter I asked them to pay up within ten days or legal actions will be taken. They paid. Even in country full of piracies, they also pay.
They refused RAW files, and my workflow. They are making things so difficult. They don't even give me any suggestions as to how I can proof the ownership is mine. And now, they are saying Commissioner of Oath is not a legal document when they were the proposal party in the first place.
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Lol 你自己找来的，兄弟。我们能劝的，也都劝了。是你要玩他们的游戏的。。没人逼你。
多多保重吧。
多多保重吧。
You are getting something wrong here. It is not up to them to accept what is proper proof or not. In the first place they violated your copyright. They are in the wrong not you. Why are you taking such a weak stance?
Stop playing their games and serve them an invoice, followed by a lawyer letter. You kept playing they games and showing them your weak stance. They will play you and they now know they can makan you. You are so weak in your stance that you are not even willing to reveal this production houses's name here. That just shows that you have no resolve to get this settled on your terms.
My suggestion at this point for you is to drop the whole thing and move on.
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I think the advices are given enough, the rest is up to thread starter, like many already said.
moving this thread to Photo Biz, surely can help many others if they encounter same situation like this.
and I like to remind everyone, when you post your works online, please WATERMARK it PROMINENTLY and HEAVILY, stated ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, place your NAME and CONTACT in the METADATA.
it rather ugly than sorry later.
and also ask yourself, do you really need to post a full resolution photos, or HD or ever 4R footage online? don't you think you are tempting others to steal your works?
don't ever think nobody will steal your work just because you are newbie or your work is not up the standard, some people are simply desperate, and best people to maken (bully) is ignorant photographers like you.
moving this thread to Photo Biz, surely can help many others if they encounter same situation like this.
and I like to remind everyone, when you post your works online, please WATERMARK it PROMINENTLY and HEAVILY, stated ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, place your NAME and CONTACT in the METADATA.
it rather ugly than sorry later.
and also ask yourself, do you really need to post a full resolution photos, or HD or ever 4R footage online? don't you think you are tempting others to steal your works?
don't ever think nobody will steal your work just because you are newbie or your work is not up the standard, some people are simply desperate, and best people to maken (bully) is ignorant photographers like you.
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I totally agree with the earlier two posts.
You are showing them you are the clown here.
It is most unfortunate that such trouble befallen upon the talented. All the more you should act.
You have to understand that freelance photography/videography is a self-employment line of work, we have to be responsible for everything and that includes self protection, retaliation (legal means of course) and debt recovery. If you don't have what it takes in certain area, employ somebody to take care of it for you, even if it cost you to loss money, its a matter of principle self respect and backbone. Do you have? There is no point come seeking advice and not following through my friend.
What we can provide you is some advice, empathy and moral support, ultimately you have to take charge of your business and your life yourself.
Do it properly and be proud you did something to protect yourself. Or live with the sigma and bad memory. I hope you can resolve it and wish you well.
Hi all,
Yes I'm actually on the verge of giving up. Can say it's 我自己找来的, but what's done is done and I will learn from it. Gonna watermark even videos in future.
Also, I don't think that I'm showing my weakness not revealing the production house; I just think of it as a respect. I didn't want to engage a lawyer simply because I'm still an NSF and tbh, I'm earning the lowest possible pay as a clerk, therefore money is an issue for me.
Nevertheless, thank you all for the time and advices!
Yes I'm actually on the verge of giving up. Can say it's 我自己找来的, but what's done is done and I will learn from it. Gonna watermark even videos in future.
Also, I don't think that I'm showing my weakness not revealing the production house; I just think of it as a respect. I didn't want to engage a lawyer simply because I'm still an NSF and tbh, I'm earning the lowest possible pay as a clerk, therefore money is an issue for me.
Nevertheless, thank you all for the time and advices!
the choice is yours whether to pursue the matter or reveal the company at fault, but there's no need to be disheartened or disappointed
i'm sure if you continue to do what you are good at and passionate about, there will be others who continue to support your work and there will come a day you will think back and appreciate this whole event as a contributor towards your success
all the best!
They obviously did not show you any respect. And yet you respect them. All I can say is wow.
Welcome to the business world. sometimes no need to give too much respect when it is not deserved.
hahaha... if I were you in this current situation. I will just forgo the money and really use the situation to expose them.
The photo stealer and couple of others website that expose people like that will be a good start.
Storm is another, I am sure, they will like a bit of publicity.
But before you hit that send button, just email them again telling them what you are prepared to do at the end of the day, I am sure they are going to be in hot water for simply not paying for using someone's work.
Get the legal document ready, give it to them and if they still insist that it is not enough, just go on the publicity way to be honest.
If they are not nice, there is not reason at all if you need to be nice.
Regards,
Hart
The photo stealer and couple of others website that expose people like that will be a good start.
Storm is another, I am sure, they will like a bit of publicity.
But before you hit that send button, just email them again telling them what you are prepared to do at the end of the day, I am sure they are going to be in hot water for simply not paying for using someone's work.
Get the legal document ready, give it to them and if they still insist that it is not enough, just go on the publicity way to be honest.
If they are not nice, there is not reason at all if you need to be nice.
Regards,
Hart
I have been following this thread but haven't said anything. Now I feel compelled to give my 2 cents worth.
Basically I won't say "you asked for it." Very likely as an NSF you feel you don't have deep pockets to fight this. Understandable.
But seriously just giving up without so much as a fight is just not going to help you in any way is it? Many of the members have given their advice and thoughts.
In fact they appear even more eager to see this matter resolved than you are, sorry to say this. For good reason too. Your lack of will to see this matter through right to the end and fight for what is rightfully yours will continue to set a precedence that is not good for all involved, more so the artist (you in this case).
So man up and do something to claim back your dignity or just suffer in silence.
So at the end of the day, what are they asking you for now?
At the start of the process, yes, by all means be the bigger person and show them some grace, give them benefit of the doubt. Give them an opportunity to do the right thing and resolve this amicably under the table.
But after how they've bullied you, thrown your settlement offer back in your face, made you jump through hoops for nothing, your insistence on "respecting" a company that stole from you, and has not shown any sincerity in righting your loss, is quite hard to understand.
One concern is that if they don't suffer any negative consequence from this and get off scott-free, it may embolden them to steal from others in future. What I'm really curious about now, is whether this is an isolated incident, or if this company actually already has a habit of stealing content from others like you (who may still be unaware of the theft/infringement) and getting away with it via this kinda administrative intimidation/stalling tactic. Since you're not willing to reveal their name, perhaps you can try to look through the rest of their work (if it's available online, of course) and see if you can spot any content that might look out of place from whatever else they shot.
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I feel for you buddy and it's exasperating reading this thread when obviously they are taking you for a ride. I believe whatever benefit of doubt and due respect (too much in this case to be honest) has already been given by you.
I do understand you have your constraints and considerations... but I guess if you just give up like that you are letting these perpetrators get away with it too easily. Singaporeans tend to be more non-confrontational due to cultural influences but let's not let this hold you back from getting back (whatever little) you rightfully deserve.
Expose them, not to (childishly) shame or flame them but to let them know that you are not going to take this lying down without a fight! All the best buddy, whatever you choose to do, or not do.
it doesn't cost any money for you to name and shame them. the only reason that you choose not to is most likely because you have one eye on working with them (the production house and mediacorp) in the future so you dont want to burn bridges. that's your call, and its understandable given your perceived lack of leverage and resources. other clubsnappers in a similar situation like yours may not be so forgiving.
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My view is, the bridges are already burnt the moment TS starts to deal with them. Mediacorp couldn't care less.
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