If you are looking to set up a new business and engage with someone to design a logo for print or even for a website, as a director or company owner you would probably presume that once you have paid your hard earned money over to the designer, you would actually own the rights to the logo?
The truth is no, although it can be an easy mistake to make, this is not the case. Under The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988, it makes it very clear that the author of the work, for example the designer actually becomes the copyright owner, and not the business or director who actually commissions or pays for the work to be done.
We at setting up a business recently found out that the smoothie brand called Innocent drinks had similar difficulties themselves. The company in question actually lost its distinct ‘halo’ logo after it was trademark was invalidated. This was because they were under the completely false assumption that they owned the full copyright in the logo. Back many years ago in 1998 they hired a company to create their perfect logo design, with a briefing on what they were looking for and thus how the design was created.
With many issues arising in promised share returns, the trademark was subsequently cancelled and the copyright void. Accordingly to our sources the court actually made short work of finding that the copyright actually existed in the logo and that the design company was the original owner of the copyright because it had done the work.
When it comes down to owning a copyright, make sure that any third party assigns all their rights in the work over to your business, we suggest this is done from the outset. For this to be actually valid, it must be in writing, with dates, signatures and what was involved. This also includes and applies to anything designed by a third party by your company, including website design, brochures, adverts, photographs or anything similar.
Every local business should have a good Website Design Waterlooville, if you are a small businesses in Waterlooville, Portsmouth, Chichester or Bishops Waltham and don’t have a website then you should seriously consider reviewing their current shop front online, especially with the internet getting bigger and bigger these days. Can any business afford not to be online? Local business searches for website designers in somewhere like google can provide some local options. Finding someone who is a small business and work in the area locally to them, offering the very best in helping to build a better online presence that can help improve their business.
Offering the very best Web Design services to Waterlooville, Portsmouth & Chichester
From the outside a web design looks fairly easy to replicate, but building a Website Design for Waterlooville based businesses is just the start, get your site looking correct, working in the right way and making sure it loads up fast is just the start. With paper advertising simply something of the past, nowadays Google is the standard way for looking for something online. But is your website working correctly and being found locally? For example if you were looking for a web company locally, you would do a Google search for “Website Design Waterlooville” or even Portsmouth, Chichester or Bishops Waltham, obviously depending on where you are based. The general belief these days are of working with local businesses rather than one from miles away, this also can help build a strong relationship between businesses and help each other network. Especially when Setting up a Small Business online, this is a must.
Serious design involves an expertise and a major skill set, including creative thinking graphic design, computer programming, usability skills and knowledge of how to work out page layout. Designing a website isn’t just about the ‘visual design’ of the pages, although getting the look correct will help. The actual coding and backend very much is a must, it also has to serve as a tool for your business and deliver a healthy return on business investment.
A few questions to consider are…
- What is the purpose of the web page?
- Will you be selling online?
- Is your website going to be a online brochure?
- Will you be blogging?
These are some of the basic questions to ask yourself, mainly because if you offer a service eg. Plumbing, then a standard site would be adequate. But if you are thinking of selling online eg sweets and sell them through a shop front, a full Ecommerce Website would be a more ideal solution. Every web company can provide help and advice, and a portfolio of previous projects that can point the customer in the best way forward.
Setting up a Small Business in Waterlooville, Portsmouth, Chichester, Fareham & Bishops Waltham
If you are Setting up a Small Business online or maybe you are already a established company and are looking for Web Design, SEO or a E-Commerce Shop in Waterlooville, Portsmouth, Chichester, Fareham and Bishops Waltham. We highly suggest finding a web design company who have or come with a glowing reference and can very help and improve your business online, especially in SEO. But that’s another story for another day!
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