Clipart logo

[joaquin_win]

Hello everyone,

I have a client who's company logo is based on a Microsoft Word Clipart, that logo was made by a third party "graphic designer". My question is, how should I tell my client, legally speaking since the art in wich is based is Microsoft's property. (The logo is actually the same as the clipart with the name of the company right beside it and a hideous yellow #FFF22D color).

Also, they have been using that same logo since day one, so they have like an image made with it: going out of legal subject should I recommend a redesign to the logo or to keep it.

Another problem is that the logo has been enhanced recently bya another "designer": read "Added a drop shadow to it" ¬_¬

We have a great relationship with this client and we're getting tired of seeing them getting riped like that.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

[frox]

1) Keep for yourself the "aesthetical" considerations (or at least be very soft in that)
because saying to someone "your logo/website/child is hideous" implicitely means "and you have never been able to realize, you dumb"

2) Do tell the customer about legal issue
because a serious businessman wants to avoid legal problems and shoud be thankful to you for that.

[Dan Schulz]

I agree wholeheartedly with frox on this. Inform the client of the legal issues, but leave your personal opinions out of it. If they're honest clients, they'll thank you for it, and may even come to you for a logo redesign .

[Robert Warren]

I agree wholeheartedly with frox on this. Inform the client of the legal issues, but leave your personal opinions out of it. If they're honest clients, they'll thank you for it, and may even come to you for a logo redesign .

Another agreement here. As long as it can be rationalized as even remotely your business (as a writer, I'm not sure it'd be any of mine to bring it up, but a designer is a different story), I'd say it with just a note of touched worry: "I hope you don't mind, but I was looking over your design the other day and noticed something that concerned me.. you might want to look into this yourself." Then leave it at that. Even if they don't end up caring (they very well might not), you've done your bit and left a value-add feel to your relationship.

I'd avoid the "your other designers are ripping you off with an illegal logo design" version. You're trying to look out for their interests, not make a new sale or call them thieves.

[joaquin_win]

Hahaha, thanks everyone for their comments. I surely would never tell them about the aesthetics of their logo since that's very personal (though I really have fun wiht my co-workers about it and the hard work the original designer made on the creation of logo). The only thing I told her is that I had seen their logo on several different pages around the net (the original clipart I mean).

Also I do not think that a redesign on their logo wouldn't hurt their image in any way but right now isn't the moment since their logo has just been revamped with the drop shadow Im telling you. I do not know who their graphic designer is so I cannot tell if his/her work is good.

All in all I already did my best to inform her on the origins of their logo and will tell them on the posibility of a copyright problem (I do think that it is a copyright infringement but do not think microsoft is ever going to claim it).

Sheers and thanks!