Advertising expert Jerry Fan (范可欽) and the KMT are ready to meet each other in court to settle their dispute over payment for a series of campaign advertisements.
In an interview with cable TVBS yesterday, Fan said the series of advertisements cost some NT$5.3 million, but the KMT has paid only NT$550,000 so far.
"The past records of payment indicate that they [the KMT] agreed to the fee."
"But after the elections, probably because the outcome was unsatisfactory, we have had very big problems collecting the payment," said Fan, executive creative director of the Fantasy Creative Co (ㄈ合創意有限公司).
Since December of last year, his company has addressed three letters to the KMT through its lawyer to ask for the money, and both sides have negotiated the matter face to face, Fan said.
Fan said he finally decided to file a lawsuit against the KMT after his efforts were unsuccessful.
Fan warned all other organizations that plan to work with the KMT in the future to be "very careful" that all terms and conditions are set down clearly in a contract, so as to avoid such losses.
KMT officials yesterday said both sides disagree about the matter, and the KMT supports Fan's plan to take the case to the court.
Justin Chou (周守訓), assistant director-general of the KMT's Culture and Communications Affairs Committee, said the party has had problems making the payment because the expenses were not noted in a contract.
Chou said the verdict of the court will provide the party a basis to make the payment.
It remains unclear as to whether the KMT has refused to pay the money because it considers the fees too high or because it cannot afford to.
Fan used to be Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) image consultant during the 2000 presidential campaign and his ability to mould Chen's public image earned him extensive praise.
Early last year, the KMT decided to invite Fan to help the party and its chairman Lien Chan (連戰) create a new public image, because Lien was highly dissatisfied with the party's past advertising campaigns.
The first ad produced by Fan for the KMT depicted Lien wearing a red headband as he exhorted the public to join the KMT's reform effort.
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