Are You Stealing Your Logo?

It's scary to me, the number of business owners who don't
know much about the laws regarding the work that other
contractors are doing for them.

Do you know, for instance, that you do not own much of the
work others do for you! I?m referring to copywriters,
graphic artists, web designers, photographers, etc., those
who create things for you, your business or even a
non-profit organization "own the rights to them." Yes, the
logo they create for you - they own. Didn't realize that?
Even a contract a lawyer creates for you -- you can't just
give to a friend to use!
Read on.

It's the law. Read more about a recent lawsuit won by a
photographer who recently won $1.32 million in a
copyright-infringement lawsuit
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/334713_photolawsuit09.html


What you can do if you create such work
All my clients want long-standing clients. So as part of
the initial consultation, they tell every client about this
law. Some even give them an article on the subject during
the initial contact.
Why? Because a majority of the business owners don't know
anything about this and the size of the business doesn't
matter (see below).

Include this in your contract. Offer to sell clients the
rights by charging an additional fee if the client wants
the "rights."


What can business owners do?
Know the laws around the work that others are doing for
you. Not knowing won't get you off the hook. Ask the
questions "Will I own the rights to use this?" and "Can I
change this and use it any way I want including allowing
someone else to use it?"
If you don't own the rights, and someone creates a logo for
your website, you can't put that logo on your stationary or
change it -- size, colors etc. -- unless you own the
rights.

Even large companies don't know all about the laws. A
multi-million mega dollar training/coaching company that I
worked for a few years ago had the best photos and graphics
in their eNewsletter. After contacting them to learn their
source, I learned that they were stealing the photos from
all over the Internet! I told them so and unsubscribed
from the newsletter.


© 2007 Maria Marsala, a former Wall Street Fortune 300
executive, is motivational business speaker, Business Strategist and author. Her companies goal? To help SMBs earn more, market smarter and only do the work they enjoy! It starts with your first copy of More Business eNewsletter available at http://www.ElevatingYourBusiness.com