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...