Who legally owns a website design and it's files

[clungeambler]

I work for a web development company. Recently one of clients has decided to transfer the hosting of his website and future design work to another company. In the meantime the new company has 'taken' the current website form the old server prior to the transfer (presumably using the 'Save As' function in Internet Explorer judging by the image file paths). This was done without our permission and I assume is so the client has a website while the new one is developed. Are we within our rights to ask the new host/developer to remove the files/design?

[rojash]

No, I would think not. When a customer employs you to produce a design on their behalf, you are effectively their employee, and the design belongs to them (in the absence of any agreement to the contrary). Imagine the chaos if companies had to change their logos and business stationery every time they changed printers or advertising agencies!

[santhan]

HI, According to the business ethics you can not ask them to remove the site. Because your company must have received the payment for the work done. And the client has the rights to move any other company. Legally you couldn't get it removed. For example I used a designer and hosted my site using services from http://www.9cubehosting.com/ and kept the designer for the maintenance of the site I launched. Once I get dissatisfied with the designer, I broke their services and moved to an another. In this scenario, the old designer can not ask to remove my site to hosting provider. And if that happens, the hosting provider will refuse the removal request because they have nothing in touch with the issues between the designer and the client. Thanks.