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Protecting YOUR Copyright
Sometimes you may need to prepare a concept without the ability to charge a potential client for the service you provide - typically this is seen with new home sales where a client would either like to customize a standard plan- or based on discussions with you - would like to see a concept for their specific requirements.
The challenge is how do you protect yourself against your concept being used as a basis for others to provide a tender. Clients often feel they owe it to themselves to get a comparable price and will shop around an idea that they like.
Asking a potential client to acknowledge your ownership - puts the relationship on a more commercial basis - and provides you with valuable feedback as to the clients thinking. Signing the acknowledgement of copyright prior to the plans to be sent would indicate that the relationship is valued, and that the client accepts that you are doing something specific for them. Not signing the acknowledgement- except to view the concept in your offices- may indicate that the client is considering something or someone else and you would have to question the resources you allocate to the project.
Either way you have on file a record which is date stamped and with the clients details including the ip address that the acknowledgement is sent from -saved in to your client file
If the client likes the concept – knowing that you own the concept copyright --may be enough to sway the result in your favour
