Re: Copyright curiousity

Hi Ben

----- Original Message -----
From: Ben Russo <benrusso(at)idirect.ca>


> When you finish a clients web design project, what do you do
about
> copyrighting?  On my page I currently have that small print
copyright
> notice, but is it right to put it on the client's site?  I hope
you get what
> I'm trying to say, because the way I just said it makes me look
stupid...
> : )

Basically, this is something you should decide beforehand, and
have clearly stated in the web design contract.  It also depends
on who created what.  Some people keep the copyright to any
original material they create for a website (graphics, copy text,
overall design, etc) and simply sell limited rights to use the
material to the customer (this clears the way for the designer to
use the same basic graphics again on other websites (or at least
use them as the basis for more graphics) - buttons, nav bars,
etc), others sell the copyright on all original material as part
of the package, and hand everything over to the customer on
completion of the project.  And then you have to consider that,
in the case of any graphics or text supplied to you by the
customer, they (or the original creator) probably owns the
copyright - their entitlement to use, and to authorise you to
use, all such material is something else that should be specified
in the contract.

It's quite acceptable and proper to put multiple copyright
notices on a page.  For example:

Original graphics and page design (c) 2000 ABC Design Ltd
Photographs 1 and 2 (c) 1999 MNO Photographic Agency Ltd
All other content (c) 2000 XYZ Clients Ltd

This has been discussed quite a lot on the Business list - worth
a search on "copyright" in the archives to read some of the
opinions that have been expressed on whether or not one *should*
sell the copyright on original graphics, etc - seemed pretty
evenly split to me, with some firmly on the side of keeping the
copyright and only selling limited use rights, and others equally
firmly on the side of it only being right and proper that the
customer gets the whole package, with all copyrights included.
There's also the issue of whether or not the customer should pay
a premium for outright ownership of the copyright in any original
material you create for their website, or whether that simply
comes as part of the standard package - again, the consensus has
appeared pretty evenly split whenever the subject has come up.

Regards,
Donna
--
dms(at)zetnet.co.uk
Different Worlds:  http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/dms/
Pictures of the Past, The Leslie Smith Family,
An Introduction to HTML, Copyright Considerations
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