[artinfo] Fwd: Extrem violence on photographer's copyright by the Office of the Hungarian National Assembly

[Sári Stenczer]

http://nepszava.com/2011/05/uncategorized/mualkotast-masoltatott-illegalisan-kover-kabinetfonoke.html



Dear Friends & Colleagues,
My copyright was pirated by the Office of the Hungarian National
Assembly. Ms. Beata Payer (coordinator of the Parliamental cultural
programs of the EU Presidency) informed me on 28 March that László
Veress, cabinet director of the House Speaker László Kövér liked my
photo “Dung-Hill”(“Trágyadomb” Tusnad, Romania, 2004) and wanted to
make a small copy of it. I accepted with the terms that only I can
make the signed and numbered copy and they have to pay for it. They
said that they could not accept it due to the dire financial situation
of the country budget.
I did not care in that time how could László Veress get a high quality
copy about the photo which I uploaded to the closed system of the
www.egyuttlet.eu, the official website of the international
photography competition “Co-existence” revealed by the Hungarian
National Assembly,  partnered by the Hungarian House of Photography
(HHP).
I live in the Netherlands and I visited Hungary on 5th May to prepare
my solo exhibition at the HHP, opening on 12th May in Budapest. In the
photography lab “Dung-hill”turned up during this work and the
employees informed me that they made two copies from the scanned
version of the photo for the order of Beata Payer and an invoice was
written for the Office of the National Assembly on 8th April 2011.
I learnt that Payer Beata negliged my terms and rights. In my letter
of 11th May I asked her and László Veress that give me back the two
small copies printed on low quality paper because the illegal copies
can destroy my professional reputation and they must pay the royalty.
I informed them that in case of course I will make the perfect quality
copies for them. There was no answer as for today.
I think that “Dung-hill”could get to the employees of the Parliament
in connection with the “Co-existence”international photography
competition and exhibition where this piece was not exhibited but it
was competed. The exhibition is a main cultural event of the 2011
Hungarian EU Presidency, the pictures picked by the international jury
were exhibited in the building of the European Parliament  in Brussels
(B) in January 2011 and now can be seen in the Kossuth Square in
Budapest, next to the house of the Hungarian National Assembly.
As I mentioned my work “Dung-hill”was not exhibited in Brussels or
Budapest and it was not listed in the catalogue of the exhibition. I
really ask Beáta Payer and László Veress to explain what happened, to
give back the copies in order to destroy them and -if the budget of
Hungary allows- to buy two copies of my photo.
My story probably not the only one. On 10th of May I went to a framer
for my prepared works and I was surprised again to see that some 20-25
pictures were there to be framed, among them two copies  of my
photograph “Dung-hill”and another copy of the “Abandoned
cottage”(“Elhagyott ház” Ditrau, Romania, 2006). I saw photos from
other colleagues too. I made pictures about the illegal copies with my
cellphone, please find these enclosed.
I turn to you because I think it is sad that the employees of the
Hungarian National Assembly may cause financial and professional
damage to photographers, photojournalists. I am worried because what
happened is extremely wrong, especially in the period of the Hungarian
EU Presidency. I hope publicity helps to the Hungarian politicians to
understand that art is not for free, it has some price too.

Sincerely yours,
Tamas Paczai, photographer

Links:
Website of “Co-existence”photo contest and exhibition:
http://www.egyuttlet.eu/en
Website of the Hungarian House of Photography:  http://maimano.hu/index_en.html
Website of the Hungarian National Assembly:
http://www.parlament.hu/angol/angol.htm
My website: http://paczai.hostzi.com/