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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Thoughtless friend?

50 replies

famousfour919777 · 09/08/2018 14:02

Long story short. I have a friend that opened up a new shop. She asked if I could think of a logo for her so I sat for hours and came up with a great one. I also designed on an advertising board for her prior to opening. Now the shop is open and she has made a post on facebook showing a brand new advertising board attached to the shop wall - but it has been done by a professional. There are links to the designers page showing the making of the new board. The board is professional and really lovely, however, my gripe is that this was MY design - I spent days making it at no charge but there has been no mention in her post that I am the original designer. I feel a bit mugged off at this and really annoyed that she would let that go unmentioned. Am I right to feel this way? I have tried to look at it from every angle but every time I read the post again I get so pissed off. I'm posting this here really to get others views and maybe try and see it differently. She's been very good to me whilst I've been ill in the past so I'd hope this was just something she did without thinking properly. :-(

OP posts:

troodiedoo · 09/08/2018 16:14

Something similar happened to me with a website design. I was really pissed off at the time, I let it go though.

Thinking about it, as I didn't credit myself on the original website (didn't want any business from it), probably why new professional designer thought it was fair game. So always copyright your work, whatever it is.

Namechangeforthiscancershit · 09/08/2018 16:17

I do sell my work on many sites and facebook groups

That’s totally different then. Yes if you do this professionally you should be credited.

DULLDull · 09/08/2018 16:29

Just message her and say you are looking to increase the paid work and so could she mention your name as the designer with a link to your site or FB page. It's obviously an oversight on her part rather than a callous act. She has nothing to gain from upsetting you.

Birdsgottafly · 09/08/2018 16:29

""Copyright the design and tell her you have done so.""

It wouldn't apply to the design, as permission was given for it to be used, before the copyright. Also it's a throwing away £50.

OP, are you sure that a discount hasn't been given for the mention on FB etc? That's usually the case.

She should have thanked you publicly for your help and I would pull her up on it.

KoolAidPickle · 09/08/2018 16:31

""Copyright the design and tell her you have done so.

She can't do this after the fact.

OP either you are a professional or you are not. Which is it?

Jaxhog · 09/08/2018 16:46

Some people are just thoroughly thoughtless. (And usually the first to complain if you don't credit them)

Jaxhog · 09/08/2018 16:46

Or just send her an invoice!

KoolAidPickle · 09/08/2018 16:56

an invoice for what? No payment was requested or quoted for at any time. OP is not due any money.

HaveSomeGrace · 09/08/2018 17:02

Your friend wasn’t under the impression that YOU designed it but SHE was going to get it created using said design however she wanted? Is it possible she thought you knew that was the case?

KoolAidPickle · 09/08/2018 17:04

There is also another possibility here: OP not being a professional or even working in this area means that it may not have been good enough as a design/logo, hence the need for a professional company to do it?

Vitalogy · 09/08/2018 17:13

Your friend wasn’t under the impression that YOU designed it How couldn't she? Of course OP designed it.

HaveSomeGrace · 09/08/2018 17:24

Yes very good @Vitalogy but what I mean is did the friend think that once it was designed, she could then do as she wished with it and just assumed op wouldn’t care?

Whipsmart · 09/08/2018 17:32

What a strange situation! So she got a professioanl designer to make minor adjusments to what you deisgned and then credited them for it? It's weird on their part as well then!

I wouldn't say anything like "I'm so glad you liked my design" because it could come across as a tad passive aggressive. But definitely ask her directly to acknowledge that you're the one who actually designed it (with smiley faces, as pp have suggested!) If she's normally a good friend it's odd that she didn't say somehting like "And thanks to famous for coming up with the logo!" just to publicly give you credit.

If you do sell your work you do need to make sure you're clear with people that there are rules and regulations about this stuff!

emmyrose2000 · 10/08/2018 03:49

Post in reply on Facebook something like “ that looks fantastic Doris- so glad you liked my design and it looks great now it’s up on the wall” . Hopefully she’ll then acknowledge it with you

I agree with this.

It's irrelevant whether OP is a professional or not, or whether she was paid for it. She designed the original logo; it's HER work. SHE deserved the credit for it, not the person the 'friend' ended up paying.

3girlmama · 10/08/2018 04:29

I like gotten's reply

AjasLipstick · 10/08/2018 05:07

OP I am a copywriter and a friend kept asking me to "just check this over?" and she'd send me bloody giant documents to proofread.

Her reasoning was that she was poor and setting up a business. Needed help.

Eventually I just said "Sorry, can't...too busy." and guess what? I've not heard from her since.

DON'T do anything like this for anyone for free.

FabulousTomatoes · 10/08/2018 09:57

I wish people would stop asking me to knock out a ‘quick’ logo / party invitation / set of wedding stationery. I don’t do ‘quick’ as I take pride in my work. I usually say no I’m too busy but it’s taken me time and experience to value my time and work enough to be brave enough to!

FabulousTomatoes · 10/08/2018 09:58

^^in relation to mate’s freebie jobs

AjasLipstick · 10/08/2018 10:19

Tomatoes I just say "Well no, it would take me a full day to do that." and when they express surprise or horror, I say "Oh...well if it's THAT easy, you do it!"

GummiberryJuice · 10/08/2018 10:33

I think she should have credited you, if it were me I would have included a photo of your original drawings and said xxx company brought famousfours drawings to life (or whatever).
I think you have every right to feel annoyed and definitely don't be so quick to say yes in the future. I have found it easier to say no I just don't really have the time at the minute.
Have you a closer friend who could pull her up on it, I wouldn't mind saying to a friend "Is that not Famous's logo?"

Vitalogy · 10/08/2018 10:34

Some people don't realise the art and soul that goes into these things.

FeistyOldBat · 10/08/2018 11:53

OP, it doesn't matter whether you're a professional designer or not, it's why you were asked to do the design that matters. Copyright issues are governed by the Berne Convention on Copyright which is an old agreement now (late 19th century) and it's incredibly complicated, with many changes over the years, and made even more difficult by the digital age we live in where millions of people wrongly think anything, especially images, are cheap and easy to make and they can do whatever they want with them. A commercial contract for a paid-for design would normally make the design the intellectual property of the purchaser (with restrictions spelled out in the contract). Otherwise copyright is normally assumed to be the intellectual property of the designer or author.

From my POV running my own typography/typesetting business after I retired from my career job, it would be immensely important to me to be able to include all my design work in my portfolio whether I owned the copyright or not. I'd expect your friend to acknowledge your original design as your work, with a link to your website if you have one. Very often I was given a design to be included in my project for a client, this is normal practice, very common, but that design was always accompanied by confirmation that my client either owned the copyright to the design or had a licence from the copyright owner allowing its use for this specific purpose. Did your friend's designer ask for this confirmation from her? I expect the answer would be 'no' although it should be 'yes' and don't think it's worth chasing that unless you can't get your friend to acknowledge your work publicly.

What I'd be looking for is that public acknowledgement of your original work, such as a mention on the front page of her website saying something like 'original logo design by [your name] of [website name and contact details] alongside the website or other designer's credit. No smiley faces, this is business.

Don't get me started on the friend asking me if I could 'just knock something out quickly' thing… grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr…

Broussard · 10/08/2018 12:14

It completely matters whether she is a professional or not. She has no copyright and no rights to credit, mainly because she is not a professional with no contract, no payment, no proof of ownership.
it's likely the design company used now has rights to all of that.

FabulousTomatoes · 10/08/2018 12:45

@AjasLipstick cheers... I may try that one next time!

Original poster

famousfour919777 · 11/08/2018 23:29

Thank you for all of your replies. I kindly asked my friend to edit the link and mention me as the original maker. It was done with no issues at all! I think I'd have thought it over forever more if I'd said nothing. All is calm and thankfully fine. Thank you all for the great advice.

OP posts:

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