Graphic designer copyrights

Who owns a customer’s graphic works?

Unless otherwise specified in the design contract, because there should always be a contract,  the rights to a designer’s design creations remains the property of the designer or the design agency. If the designer works in a design agency, copyrights belong to the design agency. When delivering work for a client, the agency is selling specific rights to use it. That is, if you sell a web design to a client, he owns the rights for his website, but cannot use the material for other purposes without the owner’s consent. Copyright laws are clear and have been established to protect owners against unauthorized use without proper compensation or prior agreement between the parties.

This example will show you in other words:  One, designs a logo for a t-shirt. The client likes it so much that he will use it on one million coffee mugs he intends to sell with the same logo. The owner must be paid for the additional use, as the value has greatly increased.

Reference: Circular 92 Copyright Law of the United States of America: http://www.copyright.gov/title17/