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Old 15-10-2017, 06:23 PM   #1
jwhtan
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Default Lego artist’s rejected design for LTA toy train ‘strikingly similar’ to end product



An established Singaporean Lego brick artist on Saturday (Oct 14) pointed out what he said was a “striking” resemblance
between his rejected draft design for a Downtown Line miniature train and the final product which the Land Transport Authority (LTA) will put on sale Sunday.
Mr Jeffrey Kong, 37, is the founder of the Artisan Bricks company. His works have been commissioned by corporate firms like Deloitte as well as Government bodies
such as the Ministry of Trade and Industry.

He told Channel NewsAsia it was “no one’s fault” but his for “not being careful” during the tender process with LTA - an experience he detailed in a Facebook post.

In June this year, Mr Kong put in a bid to design and produce a public transport collectible for LTA.
An LTA spokesperson said that potential bidders were informed that the final product has to resemble the actual Downtown Line train.
At the end of the month, Mr Kong went to the tender office to submit a physical material sample.
That was when LTA staff asked if they could have the draft design he had on hand, “to aid their management in the decision-making process”.
Said Mr Kong: “My policy is to not do that unless I am paid a design fee, but this time I relented and passed it to them.
All this happened at the tender office, so it was verbal and not documented in the email trail.”
A month later, he was informed that the tender had been awarded to another vendor.

Then in October, Mr Kong was tipped off to the end product, posted online by LTA and due to go on sale for S$24 on Oct 15.

Alarmed by the design similarities, he headed to the LTA office on Friday (Oct 13) to make a case, with his original draft in tow.

“The similarity is uncanny, right down to the sideways building using the same curves and plates in the front of the model,” said Mr Kong.

“I asked if there could have been a leak, and the LTA staff said ‘not possible’, as the only people who had seen my draft sample are themselves and their management,
and that they did not share this with their appointed vendor at all.”

Mr Kong added: “The LTA staff said that their appointed vendor came up with the brick design by themselves with the reference pics provided,
and said that since the reference materials provided are the same, any vendor would have come up with something that looks the same.”
“So there you have it. It’s just a coincidence.”

In response to queries, LTA confirmed it did not disclose individual bidders' submissions to other bidders.

Said a spokesperson: "When Mr Kong spoke to LTA staff on Friday, we mentioned that since the product will need to (be) modelled after the actual Downtown Line train,
it is inevitable that the eventual product will bear close resemblance to the actual Downtown Line train.”
But initial reactions to Mr Kong’s Facebook post suggested this was another case of copyright infringement and “mistreatment of people in the creative industry”.
One commenter referred to the “unhealthy practice” of having one vendor do the design before passing it wholesale to another vendor with the lowest price quote.

Still, Mr Kong stressed that he was not after compensation from any party and that his experience was “nothing more than a case study” for fellow artists to learn from.

“Must remember to never hand over any physical works for any tender, even if it is just a draft, and no matter how nicely the client asks,” he posted.
“Ah well, just another day in the life of a local artist. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯”

He later edited his post to add that LTA was “not at fault”.

While Mr Kong declined further comment to Channel NewsAsia in the interest of “moving on”, he said he would still urge the public to purchase the LTA train collectible.
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Old 15-10-2017, 06:31 PM   #2
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Today Open House, Train disruption ...... karma

Cheapskate Management
上梁不正下梁歪

Take people backside skin as own face skin
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Old 15-10-2017, 06:35 PM   #3
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Another case.

Remember one related to a medical vehicle or something similar involving mindef and a private co.
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Old 15-10-2017, 09:09 PM   #4
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When the top can ownself declare ownself no abuse, the rest will follow.
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Old 15-10-2017, 10:38 PM   #5
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Couldn't find the train set when I went Lego at taka
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Just because it's a bad idea doesn't mean it won't be a good time.
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Old 15-10-2017, 10:59 PM   #6
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It is for sale at their Knackshop under LTA at Little India or today openhse at Tampines and Fort canning stn, $24
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Old 15-10-2017, 11:39 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Auratus View Post
When the top can ownself declare ownself no abuse, the rest will follow.
Just like the Presidential Elections.........
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Old 16-10-2017, 11:00 AM   #8
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Monkey see Monkey do.

This type of ethics, integrity become a Singapore culture from top down.

Hope some of these idiots try to do the same out of SG and get whack teruo teruo.
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Old 16-10-2017, 11:48 AM   #9
Auratus
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AroHong View Post
Monkey see Monkey do.

This type of ethics, integrity become a Singapore culture from top down.

Hope some of these idiots try to do the same out of SG and get whack teruo teruo.
It only reinforce the distrust upon them.
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Old 16-10-2017, 12:15 PM   #10
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Although this is just a collectible, but the integrity of LTA is at stake
What if this is an engineering design ? Or architectural design ?
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