The Cloning of Jakarta

Gunther W. Holtorf, the German-born creator of the Jakarta map, has accused Riadika Mastra, a cartographer and remote sensing expert from the Coordinating Body for Survey & National Charting Development Board (Bakosurtanal), of plagiarizing the 11th edition (1997-1998) of his map. The map in question was published by PT Gramedia in October 2001. To mediate in the conflict, PT Gramedia withdrew all the maps from its stores and burned the remaining 4,800 published copies. Riadika, however, denied all of Gunther's charges: "My map is not a copy of anyone's work," he said. So what really happened? Here is TEMPO's compilation of arguments from both sides.

January 30, 2001

Amemo from Jacob Oetama, former Editor-in-Chief of Kompas daily, confused Petrus Waworuntu, Executive Director of PT Gramedia Asri Media. The memo was brief and concise. It was an "order" to resolve the problem concerning the Jakarta-Bogor-Tangerang-Bekasi (Jabotabek) map made by Riadika Mastra and issued by PT Bhuana Ilmu Populer, one of Gramedia's subsidiary companies.

The memo was in response to a letter to the editor in Kompas,

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