Delivery of Final Project

Sep 12, 2012

Hi All,

What does it mean to own a license of a project, in this case of an e-learning course?  If the course is sold to my customer and I retain the project's license, what does  that entitle me to own?

For example, if you sell  an e-learning course to a customer, how do you prevent him/her from selling it to someone else?

In addition, which are the files you provide your customer with when you are delivering the course to him/her?  Will this customer be able to publish the files without owning the Articualte software ( I assume  the answer is yes, but I have not done this before and would like to be sure).

Thanking you in advance for your insight.

18 Replies
Saenna B Ahman

hi helena, I'm not a freelancer but I am interested in the topic because some day maybe that might be a direction i take. Anyway i bookmarked this discussion page a while back: http://community.articulate.com/forums/p/909/3511.aspx, maybe you have you seen this already? I really like what Rob Tait and Cathy Moore shared. Rob's graphic. is really helpful. 

Daniel Brigham

Hi, Helena:

I think I can answer the second part of your question. As far as I know, your client can't do much with your course until you hand over the presenter or storyline files. Sure, if you've sent them a preview web-version they can view it forever, but they're not going to be able to put the web review version on an LMS.

Helena Froyton

Thank you Daniel for your reply.  Once they do have the presenter files from me, will they be able to publish the course even without owning the Articulate software?  In my case, my client will not be placing them on an LMS, but will have them available on a specific laptop designated for viewing the course.

Bruce Graham

Helena,

Clients (IMHO) expect to get 2 things:

1> The compiled course

2> The files that were used to build it.

If they want to change the course they will need Presenter/Storyline software.

I often build to this model, "...I build in a way that makes it easy for you to buy the s/w and maintain the changes yourself. Heck - I will even come in for a day or two and teach you how to use the software...".

They then slowly get value, and I get re-employed to do more and more complex pieces.

More fun that way.

Bruce

Phil Mayor

As with Bruce, I will hand over the source files and the published course. I believe my skills give added value and o not want the client to be forced to come back to me for updates.  I also don't want to act as a backup service for the client, this way they are responsible for the files and I don't have to worry about their files.

i do keep backups on dropbox but they don't need to know that!

Daniel Brigham

Helena Froyton said:

Thank you Daniel for your reply.  Once they do have the presenter files from me, will they be able to publish the course even without owning the Articulate software?  In my case, my client will not be placing them on an LMS, but will have them available on a specific laptop designated for viewing the course.

The only reason they'd need Articulate would be if they wanted to make edits to your files. Because of the cost, they'd probably go to you for that anyway. 

Daniel Brigham

While I'm thinking about it, here's what I deliver at the end of a project:

1. Articulate files

2. PowerPoint files (if done in Articulate Studio)

3. Published to web version of course

4. All audio files

5. Storyboard

6. All images/graphics used

I put all of this stuff on a CD and ship it off to them. I save a copy. If something happens to me, I'd like to think that they could carry on the version of the course.

Helena Froyton

Phil,

I agree with you in handing over the files and the published work.  Now in my case, my customer will not be placing it on an LMS  or web site, therefore, I should be publishing it to a CD.  Here is my first question...  Can you e-mail the published work to yourself in order to place it on a CD from a computer that contains a CD-ROM drive? Here is my second question...  Do you  charge for each of the CD-ROMs that you customer is creating in order to provide it to his/her teachers?  Thanks!

Rebecca Fleisch Cordeiro

Daniel Brigham said:

While I'm thinking about it, here's what I deliver at the end of a project: ...

4. All audio files...

6. All images/graphics used

Daniel, I assume this is if the client has paid for the graphics and audio? Because, if you've purchased the clips, the license is yours. And I think this means yours to use but not to give away?

Thoughts, anyone?

Bruce Graham

Rebecca Fleisch Cordeiro said:

Daniel Brigham said:

While I'm thinking about it, here's what I deliver at the end of a project: ...

4. All audio files...

6. All images/graphics used


Daniel, I assume this is if the client has paid for the graphics and audio? Because, if you've purchased the clips, the license is yours. And I think this means yours to use but not to give away?

Thoughts, anyone?


This is something that needs to be understood/agreed with the customer at the start of any project.

Who owns what, and at what point.

Bruce

Daniel Brigham

Yes, Rebecca, if the client has paid for the images. I assume if you purchase a photo of a stock site, it's not cool to give it away, say as a free asset on a blog or whatever.

Question to the Heroes: Where it makes sense to do so, do you insist on purchasing the stock photos so that you can use them for other projects? Of course, maybe it doesn't matter a heck of a lot, because you will probably not want to have much image overlap among projects.

Bruce Graham

I think you need to be very careful.

Whenever you start a project with a client, you should explain the situation to them.

I have a number of "stock" images I use, which are multi-purpose/multi-course, (e.g. people holding empty banners that I then fill with text).

If I intend using them in a course, I will explain to a client that they can either buy another copy for themselves (for this project, and their own reuse), I/we buy something similar, we use mine and go on "trust", i.e. if they re-use it it is at their risk.

Bruce

Rebecca Fleisch Cordeiro

Bruce Graham said:

I think you need to be very careful.

Whenever you start a project with a client, you should explain the situation to them. ...

Bruce

Thanks, Bruce. That's why I posted. So many people are unfamiliar with copyright and ownership. That includes our clients and ourselves. It's important that we all understand that whoever makes the purchase is the owner of the usage of the clip. And that ownership doesn't include giving clips to others, even to someone who has paid us to develop a project.

Daniel, no, it's not cool to give it away AND it's illegal. Just try reading between the lines on the usage directions that come with most of this stuff!

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