Advice needed on purchase of my design

@GCarlD

Well-Known Member
Hi Guys,

So this is kind of a part 2 to my thread from last summer:

http://www.graphicdesignforums.co.uk/threads/advice-needed-on-use-of-my-design.11694/#post-58627

Only this time, I received a call from a new start-up who wishes to pay for ownership of my design, albeit with a couple of amendments, including the copyright, as they wish to use it as their brand.

Now the cost of the design is no problem for me to quote but how much am I meant to charge for the copyright? I have never sold a piece of my work before so I'm a bit lost at sea.
 
I've heard of people charging an additional two or three times the initial design cost on top of their initial design fee for IP hand over. So let's say for the sake of argument a logo costs/would have cost £500, you charge an additional £1500 on top since the client can essentially use this as the face of their business, for anything they want, for a relatively small fee of £2000.

That may seem like an extortionate amount to some companies, or a drop in the ocean for others, the key is to price according to you since you're the one handing over copyrights.
 
It also depends on what the client is actually after, are they just after unlimited use of said design or do they actually want all the files etc that went up to it.

To me they sound like they want complete ownership of the design so personally I'd be putting another 0 on the end, although my line of work is slightly different :)

So like Paul's £500 example I'd be charging £5000 for complete transfer, which would include the actual editable work files (this is where my works true value is). They would then own all the files and the design, I'd probably throw in the amendments for free if they're quick and easy :)

Mind you I already allow clients to use the artwork I supply how they wish after payment so in that respect they are kind of getting the 'unlimited use' copyright thrown in for free but they don't get any of my work files.
 
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@Levi Yes, but I know they can't afford that much as they are a new start-up and I would hate for them to go elsewhere. I've also realised I may not be able to give them the original editable files!
 
If they can't afford it due to them being a new start up then they wouldn't be able to afford to get one done either. Being a start up doesn't mean they get reduced rates, it just means they need to find the money from somewhere other than yearly profits.

I hate people using I'm a start up so can I get it cheap... we couldn't get our hardware and software cheap when we first started out....
 
I just mean they are able to pay a reasonable amount, basically in line with @Paul Murray post, but going to far into the thousands is just too steep for them.
 
okay.... look at it another way, how much does a brand identity cost with full ownership of that design when you design it for a client from scratch, the actual design and creation of the brand would not be £500 for most of us on here, hell it wouldn't be £2000 for most of us on here. That's basically what they're asking for and I'd have no issue saying £5000 for a full brand identity with ownership rights. It doesn't matter if the work is already created, you still had to do all the design work etc and remember they are wanting amendments which could end up taking a fair while.
 
True, although this is more from a logo prospective as opposed to a brand. A logo is part of a brand. Branding costs a lot more than just a logo design.
 
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