Do You Actually Own Your Logo?
Paying for a logo usually means owning it. Here is how to be sure — and the three things to get in writing before you pay anyone.
This is practical guidance for choosing a designer, not a legal opinion. For trade mark registration or a dispute, speak to a qualified IP lawyer in your jurisdiction.
Owning the files is not the same as owning the design
The three things you should always receive
An AI or EPS file. Without it, resizing for signage means redrawing from scratch, and any future designer starts from nothing. A PNG is an output, not a source.
A line in an email or invoice stating the design is transferred to you on payment is worth having. Verbal agreements are hard to rely on later.
So future materials match — and so you can check the licence position on those fonts, which is where most surprises live.
The font trap nobody mentions
Where AI and template logos differ
Five questions to ask before you pay
- Do I receive the editable vector source file, or only exported images?
- Will you confirm in writing that the design is mine on payment?
- Which fonts are used, and are they licensed for commercial use?
- Is this design exclusive to me, or based on a template or generator?
- If I want to register it as a trade mark later, is there anything that would stop me?
What you receive from QuickFicks
| What you get | Detail |
|---|---|
| AI editable source file | The original vector, yours to keep and reuse |
| PNG, JPG and PDF | Colour and black-and-white versions |
| Font details | The exact typefaces used, so future work matches |
| Exclusive design | Drawn for your brief by a human designer, not generated or templated |
| Ownership on payment | The design is yours once approved and paid |
| No advance payment | You see your concepts before you pay anything |
Frequently asked questions
Usually, but it depends on what was agreed. Payment for design work does not automatically transfer every right in every jurisdiction. Get written confirmation that the design transfers to you on payment, and make sure you receive the editable source file.
The editable vector source, normally an AI or EPS file. That is what signage makers, printers and future designers work from. A PNG or JPG is an export, not a source.
You can apply, and an exclusive original design is a much stronger basis than a template or generated mark. Registration is a legal process with its own requirements, so take advice from an IP professional for your jurisdiction and activity.
Check the platform terms. Generated logos are often non-exclusive, and rights can be limited or tied to a subscription. If exclusivity matters to you, a custom design avoids the question entirely.
They affect what you are allowed to do with it. Fonts are licensed, not sold, and some are free for personal use only. Ask which fonts were used. For a finished logo the text is normally converted to outlines, which resolves most of it.
In most cases yes, we can redraw it as a clean vector. Send us the best version you have and we will tell you what is possible before you commit.
No. The design is yours. We may show the work in our portfolio unless you ask us not to.
Related guides
Get a logo that is genuinely yours
Source files, font details and the design transferred to you on payment. Nothing to pay until you approve.