how to sign all-rights and work-for-hire agreements with remote freelancer

artwave

hey all,
does anyone have an experience hiring a freelancer for game art ? do you sign agreements to make sure u have all rights of the assets and not to let freelancer resell them ?

tenrdrmer

You should talk with a lawyer if you have questions about legal issues. Yes many of us have experiences with those agreements but I highly doubt anyone here is qualified to give advice on them considering the legally binding aspects of those agreements.

artwave

my main concern is about how to sign it, assume i have the right agreement as a document, should i scan and send to freelancer so he print, sign, re-scan and re-send to me ?

Gamepenciler

I think some clients does that but as a paid artist we shouldn't use client's graphics for reselling. That goes even without contract signing.

You can only use the graphics ONLY as display in portfolio if game is released. But still not to re-use it for re-sell. Sometimes it's just trust between artist and client.

To answer your question, previously in some of my clients they make a contact and forward it to the artist by PDF file.. then artist will either print it, sign, scan and resend or he can digitally sign it digitally using photoshop.

RP

You can get away with scan, or even photos these days. Iv'e done it with fortune 500 companies and have not ever had a problem. Even with VERY sensitive docs.

stizzi

http://www.iamstizzi.com/post/80164232185

Here's a post I just wrote about a situation like this.