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Just Said Yes June 2018

Invitation/ Design Copyright Question

Erin, on May 3, 2018 at 1:10 PM Posted in Etiquette and Advice 0 4

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I had a local stationary place do my wedding invitations and one element of them was a monogram at the top with some flowers around it that they lady at the stationary place put together.. we purchased the invitations from her and they wound up being a lot more than I had originally budgeted at about $15 a piece.. Now we have various other paper items and other elements that I need to order and I really love the monogram that she put together, but all of their quotes for everything else are just so much more than I could do it myself for. plus there are other non paper items I would like to get. I did not have to sign any contract/ copyright thing when we ordered them. is it bad form/ ettiquette to order other items with that monogram on it? If yes for the other paper items such as programs, would you say the same applies to non paper goods like koozies?

I want to be respectful of her work, but also would love to incorporate that throughout the day and stay in my budget.

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4 Comments

Latest activity by Marisol, on August 31, 2019 at 3:57 PM

Super December 2018
T P · on May 3, 2018 at 1:29 PM
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If it was designed for your order, and you did not sign any paperwork indicating that it was copyrighted or trademarked, it should not be a problem to continue to use the design. I would consider the design as purchased with the original printing. It would be kind to continue to support your local business and the artist, but it may not be worth it if the services are out of your budget.
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Devoted October 2017
AmandaJHGV · on May 3, 2018 at 6:01 PM
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I would say it's poor form to order other paper products with her design through a different source. Like, I doubt you'd get caught or sued or anything, but it's a pretty crap way to treat your monogram designer. Contract or no, it's her intellectual property and legally you would be in the wrong.***
I think it would be ok to use it on pretty much anything that you can't order through her (so all the non-paper stuff, I assume) so long as you talk to her about it first.

ETA: ***Ok, assuming you go behind her back to do it, you'd be in the wrong. However, as with the non-paper products, you should try talking to her about it first and she may very well give you explicit permission to use it however you want, in which case you're a-ok.
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Champion October 2025
Jayla · on May 16, 2018 at 2:52 PM
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Hi Erin!! Was this monogram designed specifically for you? In most cases where clients sit down with companies to make any type of monogram or logo, the client has the right to use it however they like. If the company only made it for the invitations then I would definitely reach out to them about it! It's always good to double check just in case to find out if you actually purchased the monogram or if it was just the invitations.
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May 2019
Marisol · on August 31, 2019 at 3:57 PM
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Please check with your designer before using the artwork on other products, contract or not. Some artists purchase their art from other artist purchasing a commercial license. Some artists create their own art. All artwork belongs to the artist designer who created it. You can purchase the artwork to place on other items that is what I offer my clients for $125, I'm a calligrapher, graphic designer and invitation designer. The artwork then can only be used for Personal Use and not commercial use protecting the artist's rights to the artwork. It would not be able to be resold or edited.
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