Legal issues with designer's files

upekkha

Active member
a customer has sent me a high-res PDF file from their designer
the PDF is secured: only allows opening and printing
but, my workflow will not rip the file because it is secured
the designer will not provide anything to us other than what he has done, he will not give us the originals he is annoying his customer with his brash attitude of godliness and touts her lack of knowledge of "the culture", i have never in 12 years of pre-press run across this type of brazen vehemence
she wants her files out of his hands but he will not release them

so my question is:
how can i keep everybody from avoiding this guy forever? okay i know this is rhetorical (Answer: I can't)
how can i use this file? - i normally do not print PDFs i just drop them in the RIP (prinergy), but even saving as a PS does not let me rip the file
 
Re: Legal issues with designer's files

In Prinergy, there is a place in the Refine Process Plan to enter a security password for PDF files. Look under Normalize, and then the box "Secure PDF Password". That should at least let you RIP it.

As for the pretentious designer problem, that's a little more complicated! ;-)
 
Re: Legal issues with designer's files

yeah, he will not give me the password "I DO NOT ALLOW YOU TO EDIT THIS FILE."

i am glad he is dead to me now

the customer is getting her lawyer on him

i know he can keep her from doing other crap with his designs but she paid for this one

i can print it on my laser printer, whoo hoo, maybe i'll take a picture of the screen with my phone's camera and then email that to myself then i can edit it in MSPaint, yeah, that oughta do the trick just fine
 
Re: Legal issues with designer's files

You can open the PDF with the Color Sync utility and then do a save as and it will strip out the security/password. You should then be able to do whatever you please with the file.
 
Re: Legal issues with designer's files

> {quote:title=Joe wrote:}{quote}
> You can open the PDF with the Color Sync utility and then do a save as and it will strip out the security/password. You should then be able to do whatever you please with the file.

Son of a gun! That makes life a little easier as we occasionally get secured PDF files. Me wonders if Apple will eventually close this loophole.

Thanks!!!
Jon Morgan
Hopkins Printing
 
Re: Legal issues with designer's files

Have you tried Recosoft - PDF2ID?
I use it for other things. I have never tried it with a password protected PDF.
I think they have a 30 day trial at their website.
 
Re: Legal issues with designer's files

> {quote:title=Rich Wiebe wrote:}{quote}
> tried it - "save as" not available on a secured file

Hi Rich,

I tried it with Tiger's ColorSync Utility and it worked great for me. Are you using Leopard?

Kind regards,
Jon Morgan
Hopkins Printing
 
Re: Legal issues with designer's files

Very nice Joe, thanx. I get many secured files from the state bar and now i will not have to bug the design guys any longer.
 
Re: Legal issues with designer's files

Let me get this correct for future reference.
Open Color Sync (Applications - Utilites). Then, open a PDF.
Then, re-save it? That simple? Only in 10.4, not 10.5?
 
Re: Legal issues with designer's files

yep - i am in leopard
PDF2ID is great, but it, too, requires the password
 
Re: Legal issues with designer's files

works great in tiger color sync, but not in Leopard color sync
this case is now closed, and may i never deal with him again

thank you all so much for the extra wisdoms

virtual beers for the house
 
Re: Legal issues with designer's files

What if you place the PDF in Indesign and then print to Distiller from Indesign, or print the PDF to Distiller from Acrobat (I think Acrobat might prevent this)?
 
Re: Legal issues with designer's files

There is a ?freeware? program called PDFKey Pro that should be able to unlock it. It makes a copy of the Pdf without the security.
 
Re: Legal issues with designer's files

If your client has "Paid" for this guy's work then shee "Owns" it. unfortunately some designers have started including elements in contracts which say youu only buy the right to use designs, much the same as professional photographers. Can't believe this is the first time you've come across this but there you go. You could try stripping it apart in illustrator and rebuilding it but that can get a bit messy. Aternatively have you tried printing it to a .ps file and redistilling it? To be honest you're biggest problem is if the designer knows how to create a print ready PDF in the first place. Historically this isn't usually the case.
 
Re: Legal issues with designer's files

Scary story to share with a designer who sounds much like Rich from Arkansas's friend.

Our story: Years ago we were provided files by our client from their designer (including a new logo design). We worked with the client and designer for years without incident using this same logo. The designer and our client eventually parted ways. Our client provided newly designed files the following year that included the logo that had been designed by the first designer that we thought was "owned" by our client (as one assumes that when you contract a designer to provide you a logo that you would own the rights to print it). We ended up getting sued as the logo was not "owned" by our client, but only licensed by them as long as they worked with the first designer. Our client had not read the fine print of their contract with the designer. We ended up wasting countless man hours defending ourselves and eventually settled.

Really just venting (even though this happened in the '90s) because you still can't really protect yourself or your company from such lawsuits as how can any printer be privvy to each and every contract for logos/artwork/files provided to us? And it's even worse now with the Internet and all those easily downloadable images. Thanks for listening.

I feel your pain, Rich.
 
Re: Legal issues with designer's files

I bill in three phases: 1/3 after the signing the Design Brief; 1/3 after final approval and 1/3 before I release the final creative to the printer. It could be a situation where the client tried to stiff the designer-if so you may not have legal right to print that job. What has the designer told you or are you getting the story from the client alone?
 
Re: Legal issues with designer's files

A designer does own all created work unless the contract spells out otherwise or it is done as work for hire.

Edited by: Kevin Williamson on Apr 28, 2008 8:54 AM
 
Re: Legal issues with designer's files

Actually the opposite is true. The designer owns all created work unless the contract specifically says otherwise. The exception would be work for hire when you are an employee of the company as a designer. As a freelancer you own all rights unless contractually altered. Most designers are much more cooperative than the designer you are dealing with, but purchasing the design work alone does NOT transfer ownership.
 

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