The originator of the image is the owner!
Also having a business do work for you is not for hire!
it can be... just read it
ok lets do this real simple.. I walk into a sign shop and want some lettering on my new van.. I want it to say the following:
"ABC Painting" 4 feet wide, on a curve, comic sans of course
with the phone number and a brush stroke under it.
I pay my invoice which was:
Design and install "ABC Painting" lettering on both sides of van - $400.00
nothing about logos, copyright, etc ANYWHERE..
now a couple weeks later, im getting shirts made at a screenprinter down the road. I want them to look just like my beautiful and comical van. They ask if I have the artwork. I say no, but ill get it.. I call the sign shop and they state that this "Artwork/design" which I paid for is thier property and I can have the .eps file for $250
Personally...As a consumer, its not worth the $250 for them to lose the amount of business that I would steer away from them.
As a sign business owner, I would happily email the screenprinter the artwork right then.. its all about keeping the customer happy and networking.
If you do a true "Logo" for someone who needs a logo, then you should always get yourself compensated, via payment for it, or amortizing it over the amount of work you produce with it. This way you can always give up the logo without any ill will. AND if its nice enough, the client will always tell people who made it
At the end of the day, if you do anything for anyone and there is a design or artwork fee on the invoice, then that should be thier property
FYI if you guys havent noticed, im just debating.. nothing serious..I know designers/artists/photogs get screwed over daily. Its just that I know what I would do in this situation... Id make sure I get compensated directly or indirectly for my design time, but still keep my client happy.
I have a local company that was in a pinch for some A-frames, I redesigned and vectorized their logo from an old business card, (designed by a now defunct sign shop years ago) did the A-Frames.. but put a "no charge" for 3 hours of artwork on there.
They noticed that $0 for artwork and were extremely happy. Now 2 weeks later, I have done 2 more A-Frames for them, 2 sets of door magnets, and im doing some vinyl wrap flames on a Rhino ATV and a scooter they have.
all of these products are utilizing the original artwork I did. So I have compensated myself by amortizing the design time over multiple products
