ESO Law Firm · Entertainment · Design
Design the deal, too.
Lawyer for Graphic Designers
Here’s the fact that surprises most clients, and most designers: without a written assignment, the independent designer usually keeps the copyright in the work. ESO Law Firm helps designers nationwide turn that leverage into clean contracts, fair pricing, and protected portfolios.
How We Help Graphic Designers
We build and review the paperwork of a design practice:
- Client services agreements & statements of work
- Work-for-hire vs. licensing structures
- Usage-based license drafting & pricing support
- Copyright registration for design work
- Portfolio & credit rights
- Font, stock & asset license compliance
- Trademark filings, for your studio, and for the logos you deliver
Common Legal Issues for Graphic Designers
Ownership is the whole ballgame in design contracts. Work-for-hire has a specific legal meaning that often doesn’t apply to freelancers without the right written language, and clients who need full ownership should pay for a written assignment, while designers who license usage instead can price by scope. Either structure works; the danger is silence.
The everyday clauses matter too: kill fees for cancelled projects, revision limits that stop scope creep, the right to show work in your portfolio, and making sure font and stock licenses actually cover your client’s use.
Ready to protect your work?
Flat-fee counsel for graphic designers nationwide, a clear quote upfront, and your contract reviewed before you sign.
Prefer ongoing counsel? Ask about the ESO Membership.
Design Law FAQ
Does my client automatically own the logo I design?
Usually not. An independent designer keeps the copyright unless a written agreement assigns it or validly makes the work a work made for hire. That’s why serious projects need a written contract, it protects the client’s ownership and lets the designer price the transfer properly.
Work for hire or licensing, which should I use?
It depends on the project. Full assignment or work-for-hire gives the client everything and should be priced accordingly; a usage license lets you charge for the scope actually needed and retain the rest. The mistake is leaving it undefined and finding out in a dispute.
Can I show client work in my portfolio?
Only if your contract allows it, some client agreements and NDAs prohibit display entirely. A simple portfolio-rights clause in your services agreement preserves your ability to show the work, with carve-outs for confidential projects.