Copyrights violation and harassment by WWF

WWF for wildlife Pakistan, purchased images from me to use on marketing brochures only for 3 months. Today i received a catalog they printed for greeting cards 2009-2010. And my photos are listed in it as item designs so their clients can order from WWF as greeting cards.

The project manager mentioned me “photos will be only for brochures not for greeting cards” as i gave him higher rate for commercial greeting cards.

I asked for clarification today and guy started to tell me about: economic conditions, their cause, rate of other designs. they told me that they will give me business in future and send me “WWF Mug with panda on it” (lol) . And they attributed whole mess created due to communication GAP and error from my end. Though one thing was very clear that images were not for commercial greeting cards. And i even emphasized again and again even invoice that photos should be used only on brochures for limited time period of 3 months.

It seems like deliberate exploitation (they knew i am just a student) ! One thing is for sure they are never out of $ thanks to large amounts of donations. It is quite disturbing to see such an organization working on such lower ethical grounds !

Anyway i will count this event as incident in my Photographic career. I request to viewers don’t order my designs from WWF catalog 2009-2010 because i have not been paid right amount for my ART. Rather all artist should refrain to sale their art for such a cheap rate.

I am thinking to raise my voice infront of international HQ of WWF to monitor WWF Pakistan’s working standards closely. I cannot remain quiet against exploitation. Remaining silent against exploitation has brought my country to dead end.

The even sad news is that catalog is full of blunders !!!! WWF has surly not done job upto the mark.

Could be interesting Case Study on copyrights Laws, and importance of having everything in written even if you are doing business with huge respected organizations around the world. Realities can differ when they come to PAKISTAN !

August 11, 2009 Update: I talked to Manager, WWF Global Photo Network for updates and he told me, even after so many days involved Pakistani guys have not replied to him. And he assured he will escalate the issue and contact their superiors.
August 12. 2009 Updates: Today i received call from Director of Admin and Finance WWF Pakistan. I am glad he is willing to solve the problem and proved to be very positive person.
August 13. 2009 Updates: I am asked to meet Deputy Director of WWF, I think things are going to right direction.
September 4. 2009 Updates: Guys, after receiving a legal action threat against my blog post. (as it is bringing bad name to honorable org aka WWF) And observing highly volatile attitude of officials. I had to settle for PEANUTS. Shame they never agreed to pay me what i quoted though they were wrong and they stole my work.

September 16. 2009 Updates: My photos are on sale to general public at book stores around Pakistan… i discovered that on visiting book store, i was not informed about these cards.
October 1, 2009: Have not been updated by WWF international on this issue.

Be careful when dealing with WWF! they will steal your work, and they will threaten you along with lame excuses and LIES. If you are student like me this is going to end up entirely against you. A lot many photographers endorsed that WWF-Pakistan requires mass scale ethical reforms from top to bottom management. My communication with WWF officials ended after threatening phone call against my blog post, and i was even threatened over disclosing WWF’s copyrights violation, culprits require safe passage. Shame on WWF on dragging my personal life and contacts which have nothing to do with this issue, they simply did this to pressurize me to delete this blog post.

Shoot for yourself, It is a retard thinking to give your stuff away for peanuts when others are not ethical at all. I hope my blog post will be helpful for many many new photographers and artists trying to sale their work. And of course i have learned a lot things from this bad experience ! I was just too much surprised that “WWF” has done this.

Till i am alive and my heart is working i will keep talking about bad experience with WWF and cheap behaviour of WWF-Pakistan’s higher officials, and i won’t mis a single chance to highlight this issue… because at the end of the day it was me who bear the loss despite the fact WWF stole my images ! Why on earth i gave them relaxation by not taking legal action (regrets)
Group at FACEBOOK uncovers WWF !!! join and support them
Awais Yaqub
www.awaisyaqub.com
+92 345 5400315

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3 Comments Leave a comment.

  1. Nice post. You are invited to write for our website, pakistandesk.com so that more readers can read your write ups.
    We welcome opinions from all sides: the majority, the dissenters, the contrarians.
    You can contact us at pakistandesk@gmail.com
    Regards.

  2. WWF shame on you. WWF playing really cheap here.

  3. sorry to read about ur loss
    u should post/share this blog on other Pakistani Social sites, pakwheels, paknerds, pakgamers, facebook communities, orkut groups, flickr groups, pakistan forums, etc.


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