"I Paint My Dream" – Vincent Van Gogh. What Happens If Someone Steals It?

As Pinoy painter Paul Hilario shares today, Saturday, 29 June 2019, on Facebook:

So a big company, (Dreamer Z), used an old work of mine for an event in Manila last night. I didn't know anything about this until I saw a post by a fellow painter. The image is just projected. Is this copyright infringement?

Above: Paul's original painting is shown on the lower half of the image while the Copycat is shown on the upper half with The Man in the Middle whose face is covered with the image of a heart. So, I ask, where is the heart of the Copycat?

"I dream my painting and I paint my dream," said Vincent van Gogh. Dreamers all, we must paint our own dreams. Paul's dream is extraordinary. Dreamer Z has stolen Paul's dream: Should Paul go to court? These were the first responders on Facebook:

Adam Sparks, Angie Galon Maghuyop, Dave Leprozo Jr, Dennis Mariano, Edsel Africa Latorza, Icoy Mercado, Jayco Valmon, Jonathan Benitez, Luigi Concetti, Mache Belangel-De La Torre, Mark Nas, Neilyn Ona Villa, Sayid Cedicol, Sylvia Roque-Arellano, Tiinz Taruc, and Yoli Catalla all said Yes!

Alex Baluyut said Send them a Bill.

Differently from the creative painters, as a creative writer, I said:

Don't pursue the infringement angle. Instead, congratulate the company, in public/private, for having had the good discernment to use a good old painting of yours!

I meant that as a compliment to Dreamer Z – as well as a lesson in Good Manners & Right Conduct, GMRC. Some people forget GMRC.

Overnight, I have been dreaming of a letter to Dreamer Z and have painted it; here it is:

Dreamer Z:
I must congratulate you on your excellent choice of backdrop material for your Manila event last night. Since you did not acknowledge the source, I would like to inform you that the original image of what you projected was painted by Paul Hilario, my son.

The song "If" by Bread (azlyrics.com) says, "A picture paints a thousand words" – and that's exactly why you chose my son's painting to convey the message of Beauty and Challenge to thousands of people as your target audience. Whatever you were marketing – material, manner, mode, or mood, you did see that the painting alone creates an overwhelming overall impression on people.

Sir, you knew that "beauty is its own excuse for being," so said American poet Ralph Waldo Emerson, but Sleepyhead You did not realize that you were using this beauty without the knowledge or consent of the creator.

As far as I can see (pun intended), this is an old work by young Filipino painter Paul Hilario in the manner of older French impressionist Paul Cézanne, or old Dutch post-impressionist Vincent van Gogh.

In your copy of Paul's dream, why are the eyes of The Man hidden by the symbol of The Heart? The message I get is: "Beyond what one's eyes see, one should look with the heart to see the good in the world."

Yours sincerely,

Frank A Hilario.517