Abdul Latiff Osman - Youtube Prodigy

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Abdul Latiff Osman, a Malaysian who gained international fame via a popular video sharing website, Youtube, with his design of a Formula 1 powerboat model has struck a deal with US-based veteran FI powerboat designers to market his model in the US.

The Sarawak-born Latiff, whose design caught the eye of a veteran US F1 powerboat designer, Derick Collet, of Mississippi last October, said Collet had agreed to reproduce his model and market it in US soon.

“He (Collet) did not mention when exactly my design will be marketed in the US but presently I am made to understand that my design is undergoing several tests,” Latif told Bernama here today.

He said that there was no formal agreement signed as it was based on trust from both parties.

If the test was successful and the design could be marketed commercially, Latif said, Collet would have to pay him a licence fee to produce the model as well as a royalty fee.
He said he was considering offers to design more powerboat models, including an offer to patent his models but was quick to add that his purpose was for self-satisfaction and not for commecial reasons.

Latif’s special ability has caught the attention of the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry when on Nov 23 Deputy Minister Fadillah Yusof promised to assist the 58-year-old former Formula 3 and Formula 3000 powerboat racer to further enhance his skills in developing small-scale powerboat models. Bernama last month reported that the boat model, named La-tiff Body Guard, was introduced on Youtube more than a year ago.

Latiff was quoted as saying that his model, scaled 1:6, was sent to Collet on Nov 13, and expressing his confidence that if successful, the model’s name ’La-tiff’ would be retained.

Latiff said he had only created and sold his models to fans of remote control powerboat racing and never thought that an outsider would be interested in his model with a power customised-design.

He claimed that there was tremendous response and support to continue creating F1 powerboats after introducing his model on Youtube.

His Abdul Latiff Osman Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/bglatiff

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