The Sunshine Coast Creative Alliance is finally making conciliatory noises, including an apology, following a backlash over claims of trampling an artist's rights.
Last week, we reported that photographer, Marc Austin-Zande was threatening legal action over claims that SCCA had used one of his images without permission. It wasn't the breach of copyright that had raised his ire, but what he says was the organisation's slothful and dismissive approach in addressing his concerns.
Only after months of obfuscation, where Mr Austin-Zande was forced to incrementally increase his activity in pursuit of redress, has SCCA finally rolled out legal advice, a blog post of its own and no doubt what it believes is a defence of its actions on Facebook. The Sunshine Coast photographer refutes much of this belated and creative version of events with his response here.
The merits of the copyright claim are one matter (and in the opinion of this writer will ultimately fall in favour of the photographer it it's ever pursued), but it's the initial response from SCCA — read lack of it — and the manner in which the issue was subsequently conducted, that highlights the perils of either arrogant or incompetent (or both) public relations policies — regardless of whether an organisation is a not-for-profit or not.
