A peculiar situation has arrived on the doorsteps of the Fuso Szulc at El Triple in Mexico.
And for the moment it is not clear what to think of it.
If it is good or if it is bad.
The situation is this:
last week the BBC Worldservice, in their program Outlook, had a radio-documentary on the project “The most beautiful people in the world”.
There were interviews with participants in China and France, the project was explained and also the photographer was asked about his motivation and experiences.
It was a program very well made: interesting, appealing and balanced.
Listeners all over the world heard this program.
But then the next thing happened.
The makers of the program Outlook of the BBC Worldservice decided to also do a project on the most beautiful people.
They asked listeners to send the BBC Worldservice pictures of most beautiful people.
Like your daughter or your Mom.
To publish on the website of the BBC Worldservice and on their Facebook page.
It developed into a campaign and the last seven days, repeatedly on the BBC Worldservice, listeners were asked to send in pictures.
They even had interviews with persons that had been sending in pictures like a woman from the UK who had the opinion that her sheep was the most beautiful.
Now you can see many pictures of most beautiful people on the BBC Worldservice website as a result of their own campaign.
Fortunately reference is still made to the original project “The most beautiful people in the world” and a link is offered to go to http://www.themostbeautifulpeople.org
What to think of this?
Is this fabulous for the project “The most beautiful people in the world” generating more publicity and interest?
Spreading more the message of empathy and positivity?
Or is it an infringement of copyright and a blunt demonstration of hijacking a successful idea of someone else?
What do the fervent and loyal blog readers have as an opinion in this matter?
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Clicking on this link brings you to the website where you can see the pictures and listen to the program:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/programmes/2010/11/101126_outlook_your_beautiful_people.shtml
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3 comments:
Imitation is the truest form of flattery. It doesn't look like copyright infingement and is great exposure for your project.
However...I think that your business model of giving away free copies of your book will not work well with this type of exposure. I would bet that more than 95% of people who visit your web site because of the BBC exposure will opt for the free book instead of the paid version. Not good financially for you.
All publicity is good publicity. Are better, or worse off from BBC running the interview?
The BBC world service broadcasts over my local radio station overnight, and that is where I’d initially learned about your project, and thus ultimately found your website and ordered your book. When I recently heard a broadcast about the BBC’s own project with the same name and saw it on their website, I was shocked and dismayed. Immediately I saw it as a ripoff and a violation of your creative rights. I am a writer whose work was ‘ripped off’ by someone who entered it into a contest, winning the first place prize... so I get very upset over these things. I hope you’ll give the BBC Goliath a fight!!
G. E.
USA
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