Handing over design files to a client?

[dhdesignz]

Hi all

I am keen on hearing what you do when a client requests the original design files?

Should I hand these over? Can I say no? And what are my legal rights to refuse? Most clients have this perception that they own all the work you produce.

Suppose my concern is that the client will alter the design and still associate my name with the altered design, or they may even not give recognition to my design work.

I had an experience with another client who requested the orignal files, and then mucked it up so badly - not something I would then want my name associated with.

Keen on hearing what your experiences were, and whether legally I can refuse?

Thanks heaps
Deon

[D-Frag]

honestly, this is one of those questions that can be answered by searching, we get this question about twice a month here.

bottom line, if its in the contract, and they pay, they get the files. thats what you are, a designer who is offering a service. i usually charge money though to give them the files on a cd. its a "CD" charge.

[budafist]

Contract!

At my day job though, we hand them over because we frankly don't care. We are printer first, designers second.

[vxbda]

I guess I take the opposite view here. It is stated in our contract that the source files are the property of the designer and the client owns the usage rights. If they want to buy the source files they can do that at a negotiated cost.

I don't know what your agreement is about ownership in this case. I don't see why you couldn't say no. You might get a fight out of it. But you could do it.

The thing you want to get here is that you may want to have it clearly spelled out in your agreements if you want to avoid an arguement.

[tZ]

You should only allow reproduction rights in the contract– if you would like to keep the files. There's a long brochure on the legal issues regarding design on aiga that might be worth checking out for you. I read it a few months back but, forgot most of it though,lol

[dhdesignz]

Thanks for all your feedback. I have learnt my lesson with this client and will insist on the contract being signed/agreed before I start a design job. I don't mind handing files to clients, but I suppose at the core if this is when they alter any design work. I like the idea of setting a clause on supplying files for reproduction only. Its my intergrity I want to protect and when clients alter work that compromises this.

Just one last question tZ, what is 'aiga'?

[dhdesignz]

Just found aiga. From New Zealand
:-)