Catch 22

[ArvDesign]

Hi Guys,
Again I'm turning to you with begging eyes and asking for your words of wisdom.Let me give you the background first. I work as an independent contractor for a big manhattan real estate firm. Before I started to work with them they had another contractor to do their graphics for more then 2 years. They got into a fight and my boss fired him. Of course every invoice has been paid. Recently I was working on a flyer and my boss requested that I slightly modify his design and use it with my project. Can I get in trouble because of that? Can the old graphic designer sue me ? Do we have the right to modify the things after she paid for it?

[G-Man79]

If the real estate agency has exclusive rights to the design that I wouldn't see why not. I would ask them and proceed from there.

[ArvDesign]

and what if they don't?

[SurfPark]

Ask your boss if they legally own the work. Tell your boss that if you plan to use it, without fully owning it, the bitter designer they fired could turn around and sue them AND you for it. Paying for your to make a new design would be cheaper than a lawsuit.