Artist Accuses PSM of Using Original Design Without Permission, Broadcaster Suggests Court Action

3D animation artist Hussain Niyaz has accused state broadcaster Public Service Media (PSM) of using his original 3D-modelled ‘Bodumas’ design without permission, alleging that it is the second time Television Maldives (TVM) has used his work without authorisation.

In a Facebook post published last Wednesday, Niyaz said he had not granted permission for the use of the design and demanded compensation from the broadcaster.

advertisement

“I did not give TVM permission to use my Bodumas. This is really poor behaviour; my work should have some value,” he wrote, adding that PSM had never supported his work despite benefiting from it.

Niyaz said he had no issue with the use of fonts and designs he had released for free, but maintained that works not made freely available should not be used without permission or payment.

The dispute centres on a bodumas, a traditional Maldivian cultural showcase fashioned from palm leaves and shaped to resemble a whale, which Niyaz recreated as a three-dimensional digital model.

In response to the allegations, Niyaz has shared that PSM defended its use of the design and said that if Niyaz believes his intellectual property rights have been violated, he should pursue the matter through the courts.

Niyaz subsequently criticised the broadcaster’s response, accusing it of exploiting the work of an independent designer while refusing to acknowledge wrongdoing.

“For a company like TVM to steal the work of an ordinary designer, and then still deny it and go to court to make excuses. Unbelievable,” he wrote in a follow-up comment.

The artist also appealed for public support, saying he wanted as many people as possible to back his efforts to seek justice in the matter.

The disagreement has sparked discussion on intellectual property rights and the use of creative works by public institutions. Neither Niyaz nor PSM has publicly indicated whether legal proceedings have been initiated.