WHO OWNS THE LOGO?

Often people interested in having a logo designed ask me – “Who owns the LOGO?” Ownership depends… Let me explain… As a designer, I will ALWAYS take credit for the CREATION of the design, whether every elements comes from my head or out of your own, or even if some elements of the logo come from another source. Whether rendering your idea, redeveloping or modernizing a design, or it comes completely from me, it is always going to come from a conversation the client and I have, or in some cases multiple conversations, drafts, and tweaking draft ideas to come up with that “THAT’S IT” moment. Who OWNS the LOGO depends on several factors… I strongly feel that if you “HIRE (and pay me) specifically for the design”, you are paying me for my ability to bring the design into fruition in a format that you want. YOU will own the design. I will take creative design credit and expect to be credited for the design in appropriate documentation, and may use it in limited ways myself as creator. If I create a logo as a volunteer, I will own the design, but may elect to provide an organization or person “EXCLUSIVE USE RIGHTS”. The logo maybe used by that organization exclusively up until the organization no longer exists as a business entity – at which time the logo reverts back to me and use rights are negated. An option will always exist for an organization to offer a sum to buy the ownership rights to the logo also in that case. STOCK Logos (logos I create that are more generic in nature) can be purchased for a set sum but may also be sold to other entities for use, much like “stock” images purchased from photographers.