Man accuses MOE ad of copying Pink Floyd album cover, retracts after netizens explain prisms

Upset with a Ministry of Education (MOE) outdoor advertisement, a man took to Facebook to complain about how it supposedly infringed the copyright of an iconic album cover by legendary psych-pop group Pink Floyd. 

But he quickly took down the accusation after netizens pointed out that you can’t plagiarise a common scientific diagram of light diffracting through a prism. 

The man had posted earlier today (Aug 13) that the poster he saw was a “lazy attempt at an engaging advertisement” due to similarities with Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon album cover. 

The ad itself promoted the career prospects of being a teacher, a role that could "change the future". The word 'change' is stylised with a graphic of a triangular prism where diffraction occurs, a familiar illustration of white light breaking up into its spectral colours. 

The man suggested that the MOE imitated Pink Floyd’s album cover without giving credit to the band. 

After his post gained a bit of traction, netizens pointed out that the English rock band doesn’t have exclusive rights over triangular prisms or the laws of physics. 

It didn’t take long for the man to concede defeat and take down the post. 

ilyas@asiaone.com