Copyright Guarantee?

[rebelswan]

I love the work of a seller who has samples in my niche but was disappointed to realize that the reason why her main gig artwork was so familiar to me is that it is for sale in vector format on Istock and Shutterstock (both sites do not allow logos made from the material) and presumably on other Getty sites and RF sites.

I can’t find clarification on how fiverr handles this so it this makes me pretty hesitant to order. (From someone else at this point!)

Terms persuade that a commercial license should be purchased, but nothing about how copyright violations are handled. I don’t want a logo that has been selling (once or more times) on Getty or other RF site, and I don’t want a logo that is sourced from material still available for sale as a vector on any of these sites.

Thoughts?

[fonthaunt]

Fiverr is just a platform and sellers are independent contractors. If the work appears to be copyrighted elsewhere, I wouldn’t buy from that seller. You need someone who can provide unique art created by them. There are some very good sellers who will do that and you can check it in a reverse image search before accepting delivery. To get a uniquely created logo you might not be able to pay a $5 base gig price, but there are still bargains to be had.

Look for sellers whose samples are unique. If it makes you feel more comfortable, contact them ahead of time and ask if the logo you get will be an original design. Once you get delivery, make sure to check it yourself before marking it complete or letting the 3 days pass until auto-completion. If the seller tries to pass off non-original work you can cancel and order from someone else, but hopefully the first couple of steps will make it more likely you’ll get what you want on the first try.

While a seller’s level is not a guarantee and a non-leveled seller might be less expensive, when dealing with business copyrights you should at least get someone with a fair number of positive reviews and still go through the steps mentioned.

Edited to add: I would also suggest that when you order, pay a low price for a mock-up or something like that, especially if the full logo is going to cost more than $50. That way you don’t risk as much on that first try and the sample or mock-up you buy will give you further proof of originality.

[rebelswan]

Thanks fonthaunt for the thoughtful advice. I didn’t realize I could pay for a (mock-up). Then if I love the design I can make all the important requests - editable vector, commercial rights etc? I hope the designer makes a fair compensation ($50 sounds super low, $5 sounds criminal!) hopefully your styles click.

[prodesign12]

From Fonthaunt’s message, I came to know some important subject-matter. One thing I can not understand why the buyers are so anxious about the uniqueness of the design. In my opinion, a buyer should be careful/ anxious for/ of choosing a seller. If you choose the right designer then you must get the original design. Otherwise, after placing order you can ask for a draft by which you may get a general concept about both the designer and the design. If you feel something negative you can cancel order instantly. It is completely up to the buyer’s capability. That’s all.

[fonthaunt]

By unique, I meant that the design shouldn’t be copied from someone else’s work. I’m not talking about just a generic rough-draft that a buyer could see and then ask for modifications. I’m talking about sellers who generate a logo from a bad template, steal one from Vista Print, or “borrow” copyrighted images from other sites and then try to change them up a little to resell.

Buyers should protect themselves from those things since Fiverr is just a platform. Cancelling isn’t enough. If a buyer receives a stolen delivery of any kind and doesn’t realize it, they could be subject to lawsuits by using that work. Buyers need to take precautions before that can happen. Hope that helps!

[fonthaunt]

@rebelswan I’m glad that helped! I’m glad you are willing to compensate well for what you want. I don’t have a problem with “cheap” work being sold as long as the buyer understands what they are getting.

Yes, a seller who understands their business should be able to quote you a small price for a mock-up and do an order in milestones. It really helps since you can end the work at any point in the creative process if things go wrong. You can just keep ordering in sections until you reach something you like as long as you are willing to work out a plan. For example, some sellers don’t charge extra for commercial rights and if they don’t, it’s automatically included. Others do charge extra and it can vary a lot.

Some buyers don’t need anything all that special. A logo they are buying for their kids to put on a lemonade stand be cheap and have some leeway on where it comes from. Any seller with a little creativity might be able to do that. If you are using it on a very professional site or elsewhere that you need really precise and original work, you need a seller who runs freelancing like a real business as well.