Did a Maramag Municipal Budget Office employee steal?

Steal a photo, that is.

This seems to be the case after a photographer based in the Municipality of Maramag, Bukidnon aired his grievance against the alleged theft of one of his photos.

The photo in question was of Maramag Mayor Alice Paulican Resus (see the photo below, along with the tarp where the alleged stolen photo was used). As one who took the photo, as one who has not sold the photo to anybody else and as one who has not given anyone else the permission to use the photo, the photographer owns all copyright.

Unfortunately, according to the photographer, “a group so-called MBO Family (probably the Municipal Budget Office) purposely used this photo without reaching to me first hand.”

You can check the photographer’s whole side of the story HERE. According to the photographer,

he already sent a written and duly received letter to the office of Mayor Alice Resus last April 18, 2012.

However, until now, NO RESPONSE whatsoever.

Will this now mean that this said Maramag municipal employee will face intellectual property related, administrative, civil and criminal cases real soon? We have a law – Republic Act No. 8293 – and it bears penalty of imprisonment of at least ONE YEAR plus a fine starting at Php 50,000.00 for the first offense. The employee might even be liable under Intellectual Property laws.

Bukidnon Online has a copy of the complaint letter sent to Mayor Resus. Bukidnon Online also has the full name of the Maramag Budget Office employee in question. We will, however, hold it for the time being until a proper response to the photographer’s demands will be given. We hope something will be done in the next few days.

If we were the employee or Mayor Resus, we’d do something about this ASAP. Nip it in the bud before things go out of control. Reach out to the photographer now — he deserves a public apology, proper remuneration and respect. And nothing but.

We will be watching.

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