Customer is about to go with MinuteMan Press...HELP!!!

Mynock · 03-20-2007, 04:21 PM

Didn't you discuss pricing up front before you starting working with them?

jcjdoss · 03-20-2007, 04:26 PM

Details, details...

Yes, I did on the BC and Old Graphic touchup

But then I designed a logo (It is hobby) and showed them the difference in the quality of thier old logo. They decided they liked mine and wanted to go with it, until they heard the price. That is when they started researching. I did my homework on pricing it is fairly average pricing. they are just upset because MMP is in the low double digits for the design

Logo-Mechanix · 03-20-2007, 06:39 PM

Tell them thats the price, take it or leave it. If they liked it that much they should be willing to pay a fair price. Just remember for future reference to square everything away up front and have a signed contract.

**Buda** · 03-21-2007, 10:44 AM

Stick to your guns. You don't haggle when you buy other things in your day to day life do you? Why haggle when it's design? Make sure it is clear that they cannot use anything you have created or anything derived from what you have created.

The work is done.

You go to the dentist, you forget to get a quote and get some work done on your teeth. Do you say after the work is done that the price is too high? No, you pay it and you grumble about it afterwards.

PrintDriver · 03-21-2007, 01:59 PM

The OP did spec work. Showed a client a "look what I can do" piece.

What will he do if the client takes it to another designer to redraw?
The logo belongs to the company in question even if the new version of it technically contains a whisp of copyright belonging to the artist who did the upgrade.

You may have to eat this one and move on, learning a major business lesson in the process. And this is a business, not a hobby, if you are getting paid to do it.

jcjdoss · 03-22-2007, 03:15 AM

Originally posted by PrintDriver

The OP did spec work. Showed a client a "look what I can do" piece.

What will he do if the client takes it to another designer to redraw?
The logo belongs to the company in question even if the new version of it technically contains a whisp of copyright belonging to the artist who did the upgrade.

You may have to eat this one and move on, learning a major business lesson in the process. And this is a business, not a hobby, if you are getting paid to do it.

Yea, I think you are right. I talked to them tonight and stuck with my guns. I let them know I ama designer and am not designing off of templates. That I am creating vector images that can be blown up to be used on vans, billboards, etc. Basicly made them sound like a bunch of kids working for minimum wage. No offense to any MMP people. I told them I am also starting a business and have to build a reputation as a designer and not a printshop guy. Hope it works. I have already accepted I may have to eat it. If I see they used my stuff without using me. I'll wait til they spend thier money. I'll confront th em on the copywrite issue. I my ask for $100 for permission to use the idea.

What do you think?

DesignStudio · 03-22-2007, 10:36 AM

The idea is the whole logo. I would just make it very clear if after you politely explained the pricing they still decide not to go with you, that every aspect of your design is copyrighted by you and they may not use or reuse or show it to another designer without your permission or else you will have to take action. Now all this isn't neccessarily true, but I think if they decide to go cheap, the best you can hope for is deter them from stealing your idea. Sounds like this one is going to be lesson learned, but it's a reasonably cheap lesson.

How is the BC and old graphic touchup fairing in all this? Are you now not getting paid for any of it?

PrintDriver · 03-22-2007, 10:50 AM

You have to be very careful about claiming copyright on a logo.
Logos are usually purchased by a company with all rights reverting to them upon payment. A logo is meant to be used by the company in whatever way it wants to use it, not kept by the designer as a hostage against future work.

If you don't have a contract regarding the creation of the original logo (or you didn't design it to begin with), doing an upgrade that incorporates the original logo is actually probably considered a copyright and trademark infringement against the owner of the company. I don't know how far you'll get with a lawsuit if you weren't contracted to the the work and you weren't asked to do the work. It's called Spec work when you do that. Doing a piece on the speculation you will get more work out of it. It's always a risk.

Customer is about to go with MinuteMan Press...HELP!!!

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