After what appeared to be a tentative settlement between Mr. Yon and HFM in HFM's copyright violation of Mr. Yon's intellectual property (and in a manner totally the opposite of the spirit of the photo) within days HFM violated the aggreement, casting doubt as to whether they ever intended to keep their end of the deal. This past weekend, they tried to circumvent the agreement and used whatever dance step they could to make it seem that Mr. Yon was a party to the magazine's promotional campaign as well as in total agreement with how his photo is to be portrayed.
Read about the insulting stunts they tried to pull, including falsehoods and bullying.
SHOCK magazine's aim, as the name suggest, is to shock people's sensibilities, in spite of its claim that it's a serious news/political magazine. Its aim is attracting semiliterate readers with boring lives. Its format is to take photos (in HFM's case, read: steal 'em) and create stories around them. Sounds like an elementary school assignment, except elementary school kids are more honest about what they write and have no delusions of self-importance. What's pathetic is HFM even publishing something like this, when they already have high-profile readable periodicals. Ahh, greed…
Let HFM know your displeasure at the unethical and criminal way they do business. Go to the above page and contact HFM, their magazines, and their distributors. Then fill out the forms on the action you have taken. I personally have written ELLE magazine:
Dear Ms. Myers,
As a woman who enjoys your fine magazine, I am dismayed at the unethical and thuggish way HFM does business. Michael Yon's photo was used in the premiere issue of Shock magazine without his authorization. While pretending to a tentative agreement with Mr. Yon, they made attempts to circumvent that agreement. When Mr. Yon demanded that they stop, they made threats to defame him.
It's sad that your publishers resorts to low-rent tactics when it already has a great publication with solid readerships. Yet until this matter is settled honorably, I will not be reading nor buying ELLE.
Respectfully,
Elizabeth M. Taylor
Pass the word along. Better yet, join us in emailing the involved parties. Contact the media; let them know that they can no longer be silent about this matter, because their silence will mean acquiescence. If you have posted a photo of Shock magazine's premiere issue in your blog/site please take it down immediately.
Let HFM know that the stealing of intellectual property, and intimidation, make stupid business sense.
Related posts:
Boycott Shock Magazine
Michael Yon's Photo on the Cover of Shock
UPDATE~~Day by Day link fixed.
Technorati tag: Michael Yon
