Muskegon, MI asked in Intellectual Property and Internet Law for Michigan

Q: Can I sue my web designer?

I hired a web developer to design three websites. He bought my domain names and hosted the sites on his server for a year. Before they were set to expire, he contacted me to inquire about renewing hosting. I decided instead I would like to change hosting. The web developer then cut off my websites prematurely and then said I had to renew hosting to get them back. After negotiating, we decided on him releasing my information (cpanel and transfer domain names to me). The domain names were transferred but he gave me an empty cpanel account. I would like to know if I can sue him for damages.

1 Lawyer Answer

A: Before giving you a definite answer, I would need to see the contract between you two. But generally speaking, this arrangement is a work-for-hire, and whatever he developed should belong to you. So you will likely have a claim for damages against him.

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