January 29th, 2010

BEFORE AND AFTER: Google planned to use the Aboriginal flag as part of a redesigned logo (left) to mark Australia Day but the finished article (right) bore no flag

THE Territory man who designed the Aboriginal flag says he stopped online behemoth Google from using it because they were "disrespectful" in the way they approached him.

Google planned to use a drawing of the flag as part of its redesigned logo to mark Australia Day.

The design, depicting the letters of Google as Australian animals against a night sky with the Aboriginal flag forming one O, was created by 11-year-old Jessie Du from NSW, who won a competition to feature on the search engine's homepage.

But Google caused an online furore when it posted the design - without the Aboriginal flag.

This week Harold Thomas, who lives in Darwin's rural area, said negotiations "just broke down" over his copyright to the flag.

"I'd be tickled pink to have Google use my design on their logo," he said.

"It's customary for anybody using it in a commercial situation to (pay) a fee component.

"It's not about what I wanted. It's about the process.

"The prizes had been issued before I'd been contacted - that put me on the back foot, in a defensive manner.

"They were just niggling and did not want to respect me as an artist.

"They didn't make me an appropriate offer."

He said he was later offered "a pittance" but would not say how much.

Google public relations manager Annie Baxter said the company refuted Mr Thomas's claims.

"Knowing that the flag was copyright, it was imperative to us that we had the copyright holder's permission before displaying it on the homepage," she said.

"While we were hopeful that we would be able to show Jessie's beautiful image in its original form, unfortunately we weren't able to reach an agreement with the copyright holder, despite definite efforts to do so."

She would not say how much Google offered Mr Thomas.

Like me, wouldn't you just love to know how much Google offered Harold Thomas for use of the flag image in the doodle? I still find it quite amazing that for the purposes of displaying a child's artwork - and to celebrate our National Day - the 'edits' were simply the result of a 'money deal gone wrong'.

At least that's how I see it! Shame really, since now its just about getting some media attention. Outback, Australian artist versus the monolithic multi-national organisation. Sad really.

I wonder if News Limited has paid Mr Thomas a fee for displaying the flag image in their news stories? I guess that's different...isn't it? ;)

Sylvestor

AN emergency medical response crew is rushing to the isolated WA indigenous community that was home to the first swine flu sufferer to die in Australia.

The team will land at Kiwirrkurra, more than 600km west of Alice Springs in the Gibson Desert, as doctors and health services warn of the extra risk posed to indigenous communities by the virus.

Public health experts are worried that swine flu is likely to hit Aboriginal communities hard, because many people suffer health conditions that make them vulnerable to the virus.

There has been a lot of criticism here in Australia about the over-reaction to the Swine Flu pandemic. Although the influenza strain may well be "mild" in comparison to other strains of the flu, and indeed other conditions and diseases, it still poses a great risk.

It is new! There is little natural immunity. And, as has been seen here in Australia, poses a real health threat to some members of our community (the young, elderly, infirmed, respiratory illness sufferers etc).

An outbreak of H1N1 A in a remote indigenous community would be disastrous. How it got there, when, why - it really doesn't matter now. Protecting the people of that community and ensuring it doesn't spread is vital. I don't think we have seen the last death.

Whether or not you believe in this global pandemic, or its seriousness, is not the point now. I certainly hope that it doesn't get worse, particularly in these remote areas.

Sylvestor
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