Hanoi metro developer accused of stealing graphic designs
The developer of the Cat Linh-Ha Dong urban railway project is facing strong criticisms from the public after a local student insisted that his design plan has been stolen for the project.
"In November 2016, I designed the map featuring the stops and terminals planned for the urban railway in the capital to use as the photo illustration for a Wikipedia article," Son told Tuoi Tre (Youth) Newspaper.
The young student found out about his design being used for the Cat Linh - Ha Dong line when La Khe, one of the terminals of the Chinese-contracted project, opened to the public on May 20.
“I was shocked when seeing my map on display in seven locations in the station, despite the fact that it contains some errors that I have yet to update, and changes to stops by the project developer,” the third-year student told Tuoi Tre, adding that it was unacceptable that they used his map without permission and it was a breach of intellectual property rights.
The news has stirred public criticisms as the developer had said the Chinese contractor would produce designs for the capital's first metro project.
The project management board was shamed into admitting they had ripped off the design.
Deputy director of the project's management board, Vu Hong Phuong, told the media on June 2 that he has just contacted with student Dao Manh Son to say sorry.
"I had called him but there was no reply," Phuong said. "So I left a text message saying that we were sorry for using his map without asking for his permission. I also invited him to a meeting with us about using his work."
The official also said that they have removed all the maps being displayed at the La Khe Terminal.
After opening for the public examination, there have been concerns about the metro project quality as it has already shown signs of rust.
According to an agency which specialises in checking construction work, some parts of the tracks have become rusty due to not being covered by protective paint. Meanwhile, some joints on the track are loose, which could cause a problem due to friction.
The council has urged the Ministry of Transport and the EPC contractor to deal with the problems.
Work on the 13-km Cat Linh-Ha Dong urban railway project was kicked off in October 2011 and had originally been slated for completion in 2013, but then was delayed until the third quarter of 2018.
The sluggish construction pace has caused the project’s total investment to rise to USD868 million from an initial figure of just USD552 million, including USD169 million from Chinese official development assistance.
The Vietnamese Ministry of Transport has blamed the slow pace of construction and delayed capital allocation.
The trains used for the Cat Linh- Ha Dong railway
Dao Manh Son, a third-year student at the Hanoi-based National Economics University, told local newspapers that the terminal map being displayed at the La Khe Terminal was made by him."In November 2016, I designed the map featuring the stops and terminals planned for the urban railway in the capital to use as the photo illustration for a Wikipedia article," Son told Tuoi Tre (Youth) Newspaper.
The young student found out about his design being used for the Cat Linh - Ha Dong line when La Khe, one of the terminals of the Chinese-contracted project, opened to the public on May 20.
“I was shocked when seeing my map on display in seven locations in the station, despite the fact that it contains some errors that I have yet to update, and changes to stops by the project developer,” the third-year student told Tuoi Tre, adding that it was unacceptable that they used his map without permission and it was a breach of intellectual property rights.
The graphic design by Dao Manh Son was displayed at the La Khe Terminal
The news has stirred public criticisms as the developer had said the Chinese contractor would produce designs for the capital's first metro project.
The project management board was shamed into admitting they had ripped off the design.
Deputy director of the project's management board, Vu Hong Phuong, told the media on June 2 that he has just contacted with student Dao Manh Son to say sorry.
"I had called him but there was no reply," Phuong said. "So I left a text message saying that we were sorry for using his map without asking for his permission. I also invited him to a meeting with us about using his work."
The official also said that they have removed all the maps being displayed at the La Khe Terminal.
After opening for the public examination, there have been concerns about the metro project quality as it has already shown signs of rust.
According to an agency which specialises in checking construction work, some parts of the tracks have become rusty due to not being covered by protective paint. Meanwhile, some joints on the track are loose, which could cause a problem due to friction.
The council has urged the Ministry of Transport and the EPC contractor to deal with the problems.
Work on the 13-km Cat Linh-Ha Dong urban railway project was kicked off in October 2011 and had originally been slated for completion in 2013, but then was delayed until the third quarter of 2018.
The sluggish construction pace has caused the project’s total investment to rise to USD868 million from an initial figure of just USD552 million, including USD169 million from Chinese official development assistance.
The Vietnamese Ministry of Transport has blamed the slow pace of construction and delayed capital allocation.
Leave your comment on this story