F*ing Clients
Out of context: Reply #18
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- jerseyred0
I assume that you detailed it was a non-refundable deposit. I also detail in my contracts the transfer of copyright from designer to clients upon successful completion and full payment of project. I feel like this copyright issue is a point that many designers neglect to detail in their contracts.
Without a complete project you hold the copyright to that work, how could they legally and morally consider you stupid enough to not only hand over raw files but also transfer copyright for a project that they've not even paid for in full. I also state in my contracts the retention of authorship credit, something to think about in the future.
I also, and have never been called out on it, that if for any reason the project goes south that I still expect to be paid in full due to the precious nature of the creative intellectual property that is being produced.
Bring up the copyright point and remind them that not only did you have a contract regarding the shared understanding of the work but if that contract did not also detail a copyright transfer then legally no copyright has changed hands until a signed, written transfer has been drafted. Also you need to detail the varying degrees of copyright: exclusive, non-exclusive, and case by case.
- Not a deposit, broke it into phases, phase 1 was completed, phase 2 not yet.NONEIS