Re: FN-FORUM: I've just been ripped. :(

date posted 6th March 2008 15:20

I was just about to say, your best defence is a contract and a deposit.
I based my contracts on these ones
http://www.wilsonweb.com/worksheet/pkg-con.htm


Lee Rickler wrote:
>
> Well the only legal matters could have been if the client has paid for
> bespoke coding and then I used that elsewhere, I suppose, but I
> couldn't see what leg they had to stand on when their developer had
> clearly ripped my work off (work as opposed to code as back then it
> was pre-css so basic html etc which everyone produced) to which they
> hadn't paid for.
>
> I did feel a bit lucky as the client was desperate to get the site
> done and only agreed to my terms because of this.
>
> It was at that time I also started using contracts for everything with
> 50% deposit.
>
> Lee Rickler
> Director Point and Stare - pointandstare.com
> Web Design and Development for over 11 years
>
> Ben Johnson (Neogic) F wrote:
>> Lee Rickler wrote:
>>> I contacted the ex-client, told them I could prove it was my work,
>>> they said their developer had let them down and could I finish the
>>> project at which point my quote mysteriously had a few extra noughts
>>> on the end.
>>
>> Nice work Lee! Anyone here know what Lee's legal repercussions could
>> have
>> been if the client had been less cooperative? Is there workable,
>> effective
>> legal protection of public website code?
>> I suspect it would be difficult to enforce, even if a 3rd party rips
>> off a
>> lump of HTML/CSS. Same for private server-side source code - is this
>> actually protectable (e.g., against a client running off with it without
>> paying)?
>>
>> Cheers, Ben
>>
>> --
>> Ben Johnson, Neogic Web Solutions
>> // design . development . managed hosting
>>
>> w | http://www.neogic.com
>> t | +44 (0)1242 808 262
>> e | [EMAIL REMOVED]
>>
>>
>>
>>
>

--
John Dickens
Godjira Productions
Web Sites That Work
www.godjira.co.uk

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