Who Has The Rights?
Okay, I've come across a small problem. Perhaps I can get the answer from you folks, since I have no idea where to even begin to look for the answer.
I worked for a company as an administrative assistant for almost three years. The company's website was really out of date, and my boss knew I was into graphic design and web design, so he asked if I'd be interested in making a new website for the company. I agreed, since it would be something to add to my portfolio later on.
So, I created a rough draft of the website to show to him, and told him I needed some input as to what information he'd like on the site, etc. but nothing ever progressed further than just a rough draft -- some HTML files, some images, that sort of thing. It was never launched onto the web.
I left the company at the end of last year, and took the files with me since I created them, and the company never used them. I received an e-mail today from the woman who took over my job and she said that my former boss wanted the new website stuff I worked on. I told her that since I was no longer working for the company, that if they wanted me to work on the website, they'd need to pay me. I thought that was fair. She replied and said she spoke to my old boss and he was still "thinking about it" and wanted me to mail them the disk of the files since it's their property.
Now, that's where the problem lies. I don't know who technically owns the files. The files were created by me and were never used by the company. No money was exchanged for the work I did. How should I handle this? Should I mail the disk of files to them and just be done with it, or do I retain the rights to the files since I created them?
I don't want to reply to her without knowing the rules of who owns the rights to what.
If anyone can help me out, I'd appreciate it!
EDIT: Thanks to everyone who replied! Since I worked on the website on company time (although I used my software) I'll just send the files to them. I just wasn't sure who-owned-what. Now I know! Thanks!
I worked for a company as an administrative assistant for almost three years. The company's website was really out of date, and my boss knew I was into graphic design and web design, so he asked if I'd be interested in making a new website for the company. I agreed, since it would be something to add to my portfolio later on.
So, I created a rough draft of the website to show to him, and told him I needed some input as to what information he'd like on the site, etc. but nothing ever progressed further than just a rough draft -- some HTML files, some images, that sort of thing. It was never launched onto the web.
I left the company at the end of last year, and took the files with me since I created them, and the company never used them. I received an e-mail today from the woman who took over my job and she said that my former boss wanted the new website stuff I worked on. I told her that since I was no longer working for the company, that if they wanted me to work on the website, they'd need to pay me. I thought that was fair. She replied and said she spoke to my old boss and he was still "thinking about it" and wanted me to mail them the disk of the files since it's their property.
Now, that's where the problem lies. I don't know who technically owns the files. The files were created by me and were never used by the company. No money was exchanged for the work I did. How should I handle this? Should I mail the disk of files to them and just be done with it, or do I retain the rights to the files since I created them?
I don't want to reply to her without knowing the rules of who owns the rights to what.
If anyone can help me out, I'd appreciate it!
EDIT: Thanks to everyone who replied! Since I worked on the website on company time (although I used my software) I'll just send the files to them. I just wasn't sure who-owned-what. Now I know! Thanks!