Ming Thein's Ricoh GR photo used without his permission by 'Pentax-Ricoh' Indonesia

[Winedemonium]

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A pretty sorry tale. It's not unusual for companies to pilfer professional images from the internet, but it is pretty unusual for a camera company - promoting cameras to photographers - to do the same.

 

I'm sure I'm not alone in having bought a GR last year on the strength of his favourable review. I hope the right thing is done by Ming.

 

Name and shame: ‘Pentax Ricoh Indonesia’ stole my image – Ming Thein | Photographer

[Paul J]

Another day, another law suit.

 

I have two at the moment, both with very big companies who know better, for the same thing. It's still always both infuriating and strangely entertaining when they have already shot themselves in the foot and try to squirm out of it.

 

Needless to say it's unavoidable to have a copyright lawyer in this game. You can get a decent inflated rate, hopefully and usually through settlement when they realise they are screwed, but it's a shame we can't file for punitive damages in the UK because I would be a zillionaire by now.

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[Winedemonium]

Head office in Japan sent Ming an apology, and he feels the matter is closed. But the Indonesian agent has not (yet) responded to the invoice he sent for using his image these past few months. Ming feels the apology, and the promise from HQ to 'educate' their agents, is good enough as an outcome.

[dkCambridgeshire]

Ming Thein appointed Hasselblad Chief of Strategy … 

 

https://blog.mingthein.com/category/hasselblad/

 

… not bad for a lad who practiced and honed his photographic skills on a UK watch collectors' forum before relocating to KL in 2005

 

 

dunk 

Edited April 7, 2017 by dkCambridgeshire

[gyoung]

Well surely another bizarre Hasselblad decision. Lets hope he doesn't like polished wood stick-on bling.

 

Gerry

[Krug]

I don't suppose that dkCambridgeshire's rather snippy comment about Ming Thein has anything to do with the fact that he graduated from 'The Other Place'  - at fifteen or some similarly frighteningly young age I understand.

 

Declaring prejudice I happen to believe that MT is one of the most interesting photographers around and indeed most sensible photography writers.

A further declaration is that personally I spent some fifteen years working very closely with the University of Cambridge and loved that and Cambridge itself.