Q: If I paid a designer to help design a city map, can another org. then use the same designer to publish & claim that map?
I co-designed a map for my business that helped with navigating an area...then had an organization go to the designer i paid to tweak the map a little, and put it out as their own. I have some questions.
A: If your written agreement with the designer did not also assign the copyright to you, then the designer still own the copyright in the map design, even though you paid the designer for it. An assignment of copyright must be in writing, otherwise, the designer retains it. If the designer still owns the copyright in the map design, then the designer can sell and use the map with others. Same as a wedding photographer. The photographer typically retains the copyright in the photos, and only sells prints to the couple. If they want the rights to the photos to make prints themselves, they must pay the photographer extra for the copyrights.
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