Release Forms for Logo Design

[JagerMario]

Hi All,

I am looking to get a logo designed. After I find one I like i want to make sure that the Artist signs a release making it 100000% mine alone for any use. that i won the final product and every stage of development of it (Sketches)

I looked online to try to find a release form that i like but couldn't find one. Id hate to spend lawyer fees on something that I am hoping is free on the internet.

Has anyone found a good release form for Graphic Design that they could point me towards?

Much Appreciated,

Mario

 

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[JasonR]

I really wouldn't worry about it. I've never heard of a designer have an issue with releasing a logo. Just keep the invoice from them, and any email correspondence.

I'm sure others will chime in with their experiences...

 

[TK1]

Check this post and ask Andrew: Spec Work Is Evil / Why I Hate CrowdSpring | Andrew Hyde

 

[Idella]

If you want something quality, work closely with an artist, non-spec work, get what you want, pay the fees. Talk it over with the artist, normally they will have the contacts and will make the provisions once they are talked over. AND I hope you're actually trying to pay the artist for the quality of work you may want.

 

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[Zellain]

As they said above, your designer should have a contract for you and should have no problem giving you rights to the logo. If you want to take a look at sample contracts that many designers reference I have heard that Business and Legal Forms for Graphic Designers by Eva Doman Bruck is a great resource. You can find it on Amazon for less than $20 and maybe even your local library.

 

[Idella]

As they said above, your designer should have a contract for you and should have no problem giving you rights to the logo. If you want to take a look at sample contracts that many designers reference I have heard that Business and Legal Forms for Graphic Designers by Eva Doman Bruck is a great resource. You can find it on Amazon for less than $20 and maybe even your local library.

I use Business and Legal Forms along with Pricing and Ethical Guidelines. I will probably blend the two in order to finalize my own sort of editable contact.

 

[JagerMario]

It is not Spec work; the artists im talking to are artists not business people so they dont know what to do past drawing and shaking hands. Thats why I am looking into it versus reviewing the forms they use.

Thanks for the info; Business and Legal Forms for Graphic Designers - I will look it up.

 

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[Idella]

Rather amateur artist then. Art is a business also. Those artist are going to bite themselves if they don't learn the business side of art and not make what they are worth. There are quit a few legalities that go into commission work that protect the artist and the client.

If these artist can't do anything passed shaking hands, their careers won't yield them any money. The benefit for you is that you can take advantage of inexperienced...not very ethical though, especially with working with artist that don't know their own rights.

 

[JagerMario]

Rather amateur artist then. Art is a business also. Those artist are going to bite themselves if they don't learn the business side of art and not make what they are worth. There are quit a few legalities that go into commission work that protect the artist and the client.

If these artist can't do anything passed shaking hands, their careers won't yield them any money. The benefit for you is that you can take advantage of inexperienced...not very ethical though, especially with working with artist that don't know their own rights.

Idella,
I am hiring some1 based on the quality of work not their business savy...... Their business savy will not make my logo"better". It is also their problem not mine.

That said, I am not taking advantage of anyone. If anything my insistance on a contract and release is helping them learn how business is done.

 

[Idella]

From my experiences the best artist and designers have a firm grasp on both the business and art world. That's all I was getting at. There is a process to logo design that does incorporate being business savvy. Knowing your market, the message you want to send with your logo, will people recognize it even without text. Those things make a difference. A logo is representing your company or your brand, it can make or break a business.

I'm not sure how much you know about artist contracts (well that's what the thread is about to nevermind), but unless properly discussed it's not as easy as just signing over an image to a person, there are fees, copyrights or trademarks, usage agreements, moral rights and other ethics.

Not as simple as creating a Swoosh for $35 dollars that the entire world recognizes...most epic graphic design story in my book.

 

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[TK1]

From my experiences the best artist and designers have a firm grasp on both the business and art world. That's all I was getting at. There is a process to logo design that does incorporate being business savvy. Knowing your market, the message you want to send with your logo, will people recognize it even without text. Those things make a difference. A logo is representing your company or your brand, it can make or break a business.

I'm not sure how much you know about artist contracts (well that's what the thread is about to nevermind), but unless properly discussed it's not as easy as just signing over an image to a person, there are fees, copyrights or trademarks, usage agreements, moral rights and other ethics.

Not as simple as creating a Swoosh for $35 dollars that the entire world recognizes...most epic graphic design story in my book.

I agree!

Businesspeople have often times problems with hard to handle designers and that's the reason there are people in bigger agencies 'handling' the creatives, just watch mad men.

One of the greatest 'real mad men' Ogilvy started as a salesman and always told every creative that they should think about selling at first when creating advertisments (his book is EX-CELLENT!!)

Some tips on selling from Ogilvy

 

[TK1]

[video=youtube;Br2KSsaTzUc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Br2KSsaTzUc[/video]

 

[Fastlaner2012]

Hi,

You could use crowdsourcing sites like 99designs and crowdspring and have designers sign the forms as part of the deal.

Here is one release form for Graphic Design

Here is another Designer Contracts Agreements Forms and Web Designers Contracts

I am not affialted with any of these sites...

Hope this helps

Maroine

 

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[Idella]

Hi,

You could use crowdsourcing sites like 99designs and crowdspring and have designers sign the forms as part of the deal.

Here is one release form for Graphic Design

Here is another Designer Contracts Agreements Forms and Web Designers Contracts

I am not affialted with any of these sites...

Hope this helps

Maroine

Looking at Logo Mill sites, it sucks for those art school students that will have to turn to sites like this to low ball pricing just to pay rent. Well, it's pretty much spec work, you're competing against other designers and hope your design gets chosen for 150-400 dollars. Even if the prices get to $1000 and beyond you don't have a guarantee of your design being chosen. It's spec work, if you have some free time, it would be a good way to kill time and keep the creative juices flowing.
Some of the logos look safe, plain, and created out of desperation.


It's sorta a dupe to the artist and the client.

 

[Fastlaner2012]

Looking at Logo Mill sites, it sucks for those art school students that will have to turn to sites like this to low ball pricing just to pay rent. Well, it's pretty much spec work, you're competing against other designers and hope your design gets chosen for 150-400 dollars. Even if the prices get to $1000 and beyond you don't have a guarantee of your design being chosen. It's spec work, if you have some free time, it would be a good way to kill time and keep the creative juices flowing.
Some of the logos look safe, plain, and created out of desperation.


It's sorta a dupe to the artist and the client.

it is! i'd have to agree with you there since the probability of your design being picked over hundreds is pretty small. The fastlaners who are making money are the creators of the site that take out commissions on every single successful transaction.

Think FASTLANE!