Employer rights over your designs
Out of context: Reply #4
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- gramme0
It's good to get permission for the sake of maintaining relationships; but unless you're bound by contract—from a strictly legal perspective—you are not actually required to ask permission. This is provided that you are not misrepresenting your role in the project, and that you aren't posing any direct competition to the firm (trying to steal their clients, etc.)
Yes, the firm owns the intellectual rights to all work unless they sign it away, but you also have the right to pursue gainful employment. This means being able to show the fruits of your labor. Ideally, a firm will agree to letting you show the work with proper credits (most firms/agencies are cool with this); but there remains a fair number who will emphatically say "no" to your request, perhaps even scolding you or threatening you in the process.
So it comes down to (a) is a contract in effect, (b) how badly do you want/need to show that work, and (c) how important is it to remain on good terms with the former employer.
- Mind you, this is in the U.S. No idea how it goes down elsewhere.gramme