Infringement
I guess my readers would be wondering why am I taking such long 'break' for putting up an entry? ( at least, Lydia did! Thanks! ) Well, I had a tough tough week last week, really tough and I would say the toughest ever since I set up my practise.
Not due to my job per se, but relationship with my client turned sour over things I thought is trivial. It was over some marketing drawings which as an architect, it is not under our scope of work. Well, this client called and asked for my favour to prepare this set of drawings (printed) for marketing purpose. Seeing that he had 'lost' his staffs and the urgency of the job, I told x I would do it with a reimbursable charges. Agreed. After printing the materials, x accepted it with a great smile.
A week later, x called again, now asking for soft copy. Well, soft copy now? Who on earth will give a soft copy to you without charging extra for the effort put on the material? I then proceeded to tell him (over the phone) that it should be reimbursed at a different rate.
TU.................................conversation got cut off!
And that is all. I was laughing over the phone as I thought this is very silly. Having to be a professional and adult, conversation got cut off like teenagers falling in love got upset and jealous pulak! I then tried calling him to explain why i need to charge higher for soft copy but to no avail. I then pursued to call x's partner (happened to be my friend) and explained to him the situation. He accepted the view and the next thing I knew was - both of them had a quarrel and put me in a very ugly light.
I am not upset for I knew I had done something right. Afterall, the reimbursable rate that i am about to charge won't even be enough to change his car's tyre I think. But I felt horrible for I made their friendship scarred and also ours perhaps .. sigh..
Soft copy should be charged accordingly. Any work is an effort and ideas and creativity is our 'bowl of rice' and a piece of paper won't be charged much but hey, after the information and thoughts, it is of different value. That is why there is an act for copyright rights for any default of infringement. We are afterall talking bisnes here (knock knock!). Yes, friendship is one thing, that is why my charges are peanuts. So why can't they just pay for the 'peanuts' but instead started to turn around and say that I am calculative?
I felt so horrible for work starts to appear difficult. I wonder if I can survive his relentless loudness in the meeting targetting at all consultants.
Being a scorpion myself, giving up is not in the picture for now! Though it costs me headache, losing of appetite, losing sound sleep etc etc....
grrrrhhhhhhh, life!
........................................
Today, me and hubby went to our regular Indian food at PJ (near University Malaya). I guessed most people in Klang Valley would have known this restaurant by now as it was published in the Star newspaper few months ago pertaining to the right of the name of new restaurant just next door using the same name as this popular restaurant but with a Sdn.Bhd. instead.
Man oh man, same name, same colour and style for the uniform, almost the same layout and interior decor! No wonder the earlier restaurant owner got so furious and the news went spread and caught the media's attention. But hey, the name is still there! Up and clear on the signboard! Why such infringement with no action? There is a law governing the naming of company - company act. So this act can be violated and manipulated just like that? oh, pay lor, things can ALL be settled with dollar and cents...
And so, we as the patrons paid not only for the food but as we entered and left the restaurant, we could see the waiters busy pulling customers " sini, sini!.............mari sini, ah, sini sini! (here, yes, it is here! ) Quite a sight I would say. :P
x x x x
I wonder when can we ever learn the word RESPECT with the right attitude...
6 Comments:
Blinka.li, You're welcomed :) I don't envy the situation you're in. Sometimes doing business with friends can be more difficult than with strangers. About that Indian restaurant you went to, just the other day I passed by the place and recognised it after seeing the two signboards published in the newspapers. Very chaoticlah, all the mari sini, mari sini business. I hate this type of pulling tactic, makes me very uncomfortable.
Lydia,
yeah, i guess no biz is easy anyway. i take it as part and parcel of biz, so just need time to overcome my 'stress'at the moment. Learning.
haha, but the food is tasty and fast! It is what we term it as"Indian fast food". Sit further inside and you will spare the yelling and able to sit in & enjoy the yummy food. Must eat with hand - not folk and spoon wo! :)
Blinka,
So we both had a tensed week. Just of a different nature. I think you are right. My hubby's a Graphic Designer and I'd hate to think that his work (mostly they r in softcopy version)would be given free without giving much thought of the effort he had put into it.Of course kena charge lebih.
Memang betul cakap Lydia, with friends lagi susah nak kerja..
Hope you'll have a better week...
pu1pu3,
oh, it is timely that there should be some down side of the biz cause it has been smooth sailing all the while.
I felt so much better after letting it all out writing bla bla bla and to have the comforting words from u all, hmmm, eased and much settled down already. Thanks!
It's so difficult being in this kind of creative related services industry. Client will never understand how much a brilliant idea cost. To them, it's probably just a piece of paper that can be easily copied or manipulate.
Good on you being a scorpion, at least you are still up and standing. I being a Libran have given up long time ago. *Sigh*
Don’t stress yourself up with these stuff. Bad client go, new client will come queuing with your kind of talent. Cheer up girl!
blinka, I know exactly how you feel. For those of us who are freelancers in the creative field, this is the thanks we get sometimes. You win some, you lose some. Hope you feel better now.
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